Jackson County Executive Frank White on Thursday announced the appointment of former Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forté to serve as the new interim Jackson County sheriff.
"Darryl is no stranger to many of us," White said on the steps of the Jackson County Courthouse. "As the first African American police chief of Kansas City, Darryl was instrumental in bridging the gap between officers and the community."
Congratulations to our retired @ChiefForte on his appointment as Interim Jackson County Sheriff! We wish him the best of luck on his new endeavor. pic.twitter.com/U1ee6wByha
— kcpolice (@kcpolice) May 10, 2018
White touted Forté's focus on diversity, de-escalation training, support for crime survivors and the well-being of officers.
"He understands that regardless of our race, gender, economic status and education, we all want the same thing. We all want to live a safe and enjoyable life," White said.
White said Forté had assembled an "impressive plan" for the sheriff's office, but did not provide details of the plan. Forté kept his comments brief and did not offer interviews to the media, saying he needed to get to work.
"He didn't have to pick me," Forté said. "I promise you I'll run hard every day."
He cautioned he would not be making decisions right away.
The position became vacant in late April when former Sheriff Mike Sharp resigned over a sex scandal.
White said he received a dozen applications from "many seasoned and decorated law enforcement professionals" for the position.
After public interviews, a nominating committee White appointed narrowed the pool down to three finalists: Forte, retired Kansas City Police Department Major Rosilyn Allen and Michael Rogers, who has worked in the sheriff's office for 20 years.
Correction: This story has been updated to clarify how the finalists for sheriff were selected.
Andrea Tudhope is a reporter at KCUR 89.3. Email her at andreat@kcur.org, and tweet her @_tudhope.
