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Goals for sheriff’s office
36 Years with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office
Jim Arnott has worked and led thousands of investigations over his career, including homicides, assaults, kidnappings, crimes against children, sexual assaults, burglaries, theft and fraud. His experience and leadership has led to the successful prosecution and incarceration of countless criminals.
Trusted Leadership
With 36 years of experience, Jim Arnott knows the law and the people of Greene County, MO. His specialized education and training in investigations, weapons and tactics have allowed him to serve Greene County successfully.
While overseeing the largest sheriff’s office in Missouri, Arnott has established new programs, expanded available resources, increased staffing and salaries, and taken an active role in work on the ground.
EXPERIENCE
- Reserve Deputy Sheriff
- Patrol Deputy
- Detective CID
- Sergeant CID
- Lieutenant CID
- Captain CID
- Chief Deputy
- Sheriff
As acting Sheriff:
- President Missouri Sheriff’s Association
- Missouri POST Commissioner
- Interim Ash Grove Police Chief
- Interim Fair Grove Police Chief
Education
- Bachelor of Criminal Justice Administration
- Drury University Law Enforcement Academy
- FBI National Academy Graduate
- National Sheriffs’ Institute Graduate
- Southern Police Institute Graduate
- National Jail Leadership Command Academy Graduate
- Missouri POST Class A License
- Missouri Certified POST Instructor
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- GCSO Law Enforcement Training Academy
- Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team SCIT
- Formed and enhanced Jail Psychology and Medical Unit
- Professional Standards Division/Internal Affairs
- Citizens on Patrol
- Patrol Canine Program
- Jail Canine Program
- Mounted Posse 501(c)(3)
- Sheriff Arnott’s Distinguished Posse 501(c)(3)
- Inmate Road Work Crews
- SWAT
- Obtained specialty vehicles, most at no cost
- Fugitive Apprehension Unit
- D.A.R.E. still active without tax dollars
- Enhanced grant funded DWI Unit
- Achieved National Commission on Correctional Health Care Accreditation (The only Sheriff-run jail in Missouri to accomplish this!)
- Parents as Teachers Advisory Board
Sheriff Arnott’s Mission
Eliminate Gang Violence
Sheriff Arnott will continue his proactive response to Springfield and Greene County gang violence.
Protect Private Property Owners
Sheriff Arnott will continue his proactive response to illegal encampments and protect the constitutional rights of private property owners.
Keep Our Borders Safe
Sheriff Arnott will continue to support and enforce laws that keep our borders safe.
Retain & Grow An Excellent Staff
Sheriff Arnott will continue to attract, recruit and retain the best personnel available.
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Greene County Sheriff's Office and Jail, officially opened spring of 2022.
Growth From 2009 to 2024
Since Jim Arnott became your Sheriff, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office has grown.
| Staffing | Jail Beds | Budget | Deputy Salary | Call Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2009 |
252 |
512 |
$14.5M |
$14.52 |
47,000 |
|
2024 |
624 |
1,242 |
$48.7M |
$23.74 |
80,000 |
The Largest Sheriff’s Office in Missouri
Staffing Growth
Sheriff Jim Arnott and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office serve a population of 299,000 citizens. As Sheriff, Arnott has increased staffing to better protect and serve our growing community. Arnott knows what it takes to build a talented and highly skilled team. He achieved staff salary increases not once but three times in 2013, 2018 and 2024.
Law Enforcement Academy
Under Arnott’s leadership, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office established its Law Enforcement Academy in 2022. Each year, detention officers follow rigorous, up-to-date training through the Academy to become commissioned deputies. The Academy encourages and supports law enforcement officers as they excel in their careers, which is integral to staff retention and a safer community.
PROGRAMS
Programs
Accredited Medical Department
Earned National Commission on Correctional Health Care Accreditation for the Medical Department. Greene County is the only Sheriff-run jail in Missouri to accomplish this accreditation.
Citizens on Patrol (COPS)
Founded the Citizens on Patrol (COPS), an all-volunteer group of citizens that aid the GCSO.
D.A.R.E.
Kept the D.A.R.E. program active with no taxpayer funding.
GCSO SWAT
Established the GCSO SWAT team to respond to barricaded subjects and hostage situations, perform high risk entries, and arrest violent offenders.
K-9 Unit
Formed the K-9 unit employing 6 patrol and 4 jail deputies with K9 partners.
Mental Health Initiatives
Licensed professionals led by a full-time psychologist provide crisis intervention for inmates and staff, inmate release and reentry support, inmate classification and housing, and partnerships with mental health organizations.
Neighborhood Watch
Enhanced the neighborhood watch program.
Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team
Formed the Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team, a collaboration between Greene, Christian, Lawrence and Webster County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Teams for critical incidents such as officer-involved shootings.
Sheriff's Posse of Greene County
Organized the Sheriff’s Posse of Greene County, a nonprofit organization and all-volunteer group that teaches horsemanship and supports the GCSO in its endeavors.
Resources
Increased Protection
During his tenure as Sheriff, Arnott’s initiatives increased staffing from 252 staff members in 2009 to 624 in 2024.
more equipment
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office has obtained more specialty vehicles, like the Crime Scene Unit, Sheriff’s Mobile Command Post, UTV and military specialty vehicles, through grants, seized drug money and donations.
more resources
Sheriff Arnott has harnessed resources outside of the Office’s available budget through collaborations with our law enforcement and Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team partners.
In 2017, he formed Sheriff Arnott’s Distinguished Posse, a 501(c)(3) organization for community-minded people who wish to support law enforcement in Greene County.
More Volunteers
Today, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office works with over 200 volunteers, from Reserve Deputies, COP Citizens on Patrol, Mounted Posse, Distinguished Posse, and religion, education and mental health volunteers.
County
Safer Communities
Contributed to the passing of 2017 general revenue sales tax to “Keep Greene County Safe, Clean & Healthy.”
Increased Capacity
Helped pass the 2012 Public Safety Initiative to improve law enforcement staffing.
Greater Staff Retention
Restructured salaries in 2013, 2018 and 2024 to positively affect all county employees.
Better Relationships
Collaborated with community and business leaders to develop support mechanisms for law enforcement and Greene County.
Protecting The Community
Unlike municipal law enforcement agencies, the Sheriff has jurisdiction in all areas of the county, including the cities within Greene County.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office has an operating budget of more than $48.7 million and employs more than 624 personnel with 46 Reserves and more than 200 Citizen Volunteers. The jail houses an average daily inmate population of 700. The Sheriff’s Office oversees the protection of 670 square miles and a population of 299,000 citizens.
As Sheriff, Arnott led the charge in liberating Springfield from violent gang crime. He has successfully reduced the number of violent gangs in Springfield through indictments.
Additionally, Arnott believes in upholding the constitutional rights of private property owners, and he isn’t afraid to act on behalf of those property owners. He has successfully removed trespassers and illegal encampments across Greene County neighborhoods.
Life As Sheriff
Jim Arnott is dedicated to the citizens of Greene County. He is a community volunteer and crime victim advocate. He has two children and several grandchildren within this community that he loves and has sworn to protect.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is where he began his law enforcement career and has continued to serve since 1988. Greene County citizens first elected Jim Arnott as Sheriff in 2008 and re-elected him again in 2011, 2016 and 2019.
Sheriffs across Missouri elected Sheriff Arnott to serve as President of the Missouri Sheriff’s Association from 2018 to 2019. This nonprofit organization supports sheriffs and their vision for safer communities through legislative efforts, training and technical assistance.
Sheriff Arnott and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office have been featured on a number of television news magazine programs and documentary series. When “LIVE PD” filmed with Sheriff Arnott and his staff, the show experienced a record-breaking 2.4 million viewers. Most recently, “COPS” filmed a season with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, which is scheduled to air in 2024.
As Sheriff, Jim Arnott’s responsibilities include but are not limited to patrolling Greene County’s unincorporated areas, county roads and highways, inmate housing, serving civil process, investigating crimes, and courtroom security.
Among his many accomplishments, Sheriff Arnott was honored in the 10th annual class of Springfield Business Journal’s Men of the Year in 2020.
Honors
Jim Arnott has received the following honors:
Patriotic Employer by the National Guard and Reserves
Military Order of the Purple Heart
Outstanding Service from American Legions
Recognized for assistance in Presidential Security Details by the U.S. Secret Service
Springfield Business Journal’s 2020 Man of the Year Award
Voter Information
Make your voice heard on August 6, 2024!
Register to vote
Voters must register by July 10, 2024 to participate in the August 6, 2024 primaries. Visit the Missouri Secretary of State website to register online, print your application to mail or find a location to register in-person. When registering in-person, you must bring a form of personal identification like a driver’s license or bank statement.
Election Day
Registered voters should bring a form of photo identification to their polling place on Election Day. Acceptable forms of photo identification include a Missouri driver or non-driver license, passport, military ID, veteran’s ID card or another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri.
Where can you vote?
Use your address to find your polling place at the Missouri Voter’s Outreach Center website.
I Ask for Your Vote
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ABOUT JIM ARNOTT
Vote for Decades of Leadership
With 36 years of experience, Jim Arnott knows the law and the people of Greene County, MO. His specialized education and training in investigations, weapons and tactics have allowed him to serve as Greene County’s working sheriff since 2008.
Over his two decades overseeing the largest sheriff’s office in Missouri, Arnott has established new programs, expanded available resources, increased staffing and salaries, and taken an active role in work on the ground.
EXPERIENCE
- Reserve Deputy Sheriff
- Patrol Deputy
- Detective CID
- Sergeant CID
- Lieutenant CID
- Captain CID
- Chief Deputy
- Sheriff
As acting Sheriff:
- President Missouri Sheriff’s Association
- Missouri POST Commissioner
- Interim Ash Grove Police Chief
- Interim Fair Grove Police Chief
Education
- Bachelor of Criminal Justice Administration
- Drury University Law Enforcement Academy
- FBI National Academy Graduate
- National Sheriffs’ Institute Graduate
- Southern Police Institute Graduate
- National Jail Leadership Command Academy Graduate
- Missouri POST Class A License
- Missouri Certified POST Instructor
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- GCSO Law Enforcement Training Academy
- Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team SCIT
- Formed and enhanced Jail Psychology and Medical Unit
- Professional Standards Division/Internal Affairs
- Citizens on Patrol
- Patrol Canine Program
- Jail Canine Program
- Mounted Posse 501(c)(3)
- Sheriff Arnott’s Distinguished Posse 501(c)(3)
- Inmate Road Work Crews
- SWAT
- Obtained specialty vehicles, most at no cost
- Fugitive Apprehension Unit
- D.A.R.E. still active without tax dollars
- Enhanced grant funded DWI Unit
- Achieved National Commission on Correctional Health Care Accreditation (The only Sheriff-run jail in Missouri to accomplish this!)
- Parents as Teachers Advisory Board