Steve Luce joins!

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Let's go to the hotline and bring on our friend, Steve Luce, the Executive Director of the Indiana Sheriffs' Association. Steve, we are very pro-law enforcement around here. It's not a big secret.

Tell me a little bit about the Indiana Sheriffs' Association.

Steve Luce (0:16)

Well, the Indiana Sheriffs' Association is a not-for-profit organization. And really, we're comprised of 92 county offices that we provide resources for. We were established in 1930 and incorporated in 1977

We have multiple programs along with training and education for this office of sheriff and their employees. We also have youth leadership camps that we're trying to recruit the next generation of law enforcement officers or deputies or sheriffs. And we also pride ourselves in, I think, 50 years of providing scholarships for 40 Hoosier families annually for those who want to go into criminal justice. And we also serve as kind of the liaison between local sheriffs, government and our state office holders. That's kind of my role at the association here. So kind of a little bit of what we do.

SPEAKER_1 (1:14)

And Steve, pardon me if this sounds like a basic, uneducated question here, but what's the difference between what you guys do at the Indiana Sheriffs' Association or the Fraternal Order of Police? It feels like we see a lot of these different lodges pop up and they're all over the place. What's the difference?

Steve Luce (1:34)

Yeah, the biggest difference is the Indiana Sheriffs' Association. We focus on the office of sheriff, which is a constitutional office and is elected by the people, which is probably the highlight of I know it was in my career when I was elected, the people get to choose who's going to oversee their county public safety.

Where the fraternal order of police, they are mainly focusing on the deputies, the police officers in the municipalities, providing them insurance legislation. But we do work hand in hand with our law enforcement associations to help make sure that we're providing good policy with our legislators. But at the same time, my biggest focus is making sure we're protecting that constitutional office of sheriff, where the people get to elect their leaders. And that's one thing we do not want. We don't want them appointed because it's such an important part of our framework in Indiana and our history is that we have office holders that we get to elect instead of appoint to.

Jerry (2:41)

Steve, this is Jerry. How are you doing today?

Steve Luce (2:43)

Good, good.

Jerry (2:44)

Quick question. So the office of sheriff is another one of those. We don't really hear much about. So how can we get more information on people that are actually running for sheriff? For another good example, people that run for judges, we don't know much about these people. So when the lectures are coming up and we want to do research on sheriffs and what they believe in and what they stand for, where will we find that out because we don't get many commercials?

Steve Luce (3:05)

Yeah, we don't see a lot of local commercials, but we are one of three states where our constitutional offices are term-limited. So a sheriff is elected, he can do two terms within 12 years. But you kind of hit the ground running, leave the ground running over eight years span, and then we elect someone new. But to find out more about the office of sheriff, you can go to the indianasheriffs.org website. We have a history and links there.

And also, it's such a great history. I had the honor to be the sheriff in Knox County, which is the oldest sheriff's office in the state of Indiana, 1790 And that's where Knox County was a territory, a French settlement. And we were the western most part of the United States, pretty much at that time. So a lot of history with the office of sheriff.

And plus, by joining the Indiana Sheriffs' Association, we provide a lot of resources for our local citizens to educate them. And just going to meet their sheriff that they elected is probably the best way to get educated about the sheriff's office, make an appointment with him or her, go in and sit down with them.

SPEAKER_1 (4:20)

Steve, last thing here before we let you go, we got about 30 seconds left. You talk about the contributions that you make to the community of all the money that you guys raise. Does that all stay in Indiana?

Steve Luce (4:33)

Yes, it does. We are the association. Everything we raise stays right in the state of Indiana and really lots of it goes right back to the counties where the sheriffs are serving. So all our donations and our work stays here in Indiana.