Search Begins For New Benton County Sheriff

With the announcement of the retirement of Benton County Sheriff Steve Keane effective April 1st, what will the county do to replace him?

According to state law, the retirement has started a multi-step process where officials will choose one person from three candidates to fill his remaining term of office. Keane, who has served for seven plus years, battled colon cancer in 2015 and last year, and is seeking to heal and regain his health from that battle.

Jerry Martin of the Benton County Republican Party, released information Friday that the BCRP will assemble a five-person nominating committee. They will be tasked with finding three qualified candidates. They will then be considered by the Benton County Commissioners for a final candidate to be approved. They will be doing this work, as Sheriff Keane was a GOP candidate on the ballots.

Anyone who meets the following criteria can apply:

• Must be a registered voter in Benton County, registered as Republican (Keene was on the ballot as Republican)
• Must have completed, or will have completed within 12 months of being appointed, the Basic Law Enforcement Academy, in accordance with requirements in the Revised Code of Washington state
• Letters of interest may be delivered in person or mailed to:

BCRP Nominating Committee, 3101 West Canyon Lakes Drive, Kennewick WA 99337 and must arrive no later than Friday, March 3 2017.   Additional details can be found at the Benton County Republican website.

This appointed successor will serve until the next Sheriff's election in November, 2018.