Joe Edmonds

First Name: Joe

Middle Name: H.

Last Name: Edmonds

Term: 1999 - 2004 (2nd term)

Joe H. Edmonds
1949 ~

Married to Dianna L. Dutton Edmonds
Three children, Monica Edmonds Lueck, Kyle and Kayla Edmonds

Leadership:

Past President and Life Member of the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association
Past President of the Arkansas Sheriffs' Youth Ranches Board of Directors
Past President of the North Arkansas-Southern Missouri Peace Officers' Association
Past member of the State Law Enforcement Academy Advisory Committee
Governor's Appointee to the State Drug Advisory Board
Served as Chairman of the State Drug Abuse Coordination Council
Served as the Governor's liaison to all State Law Enforcement Agencies

Education:

Graduate of Mountain Home High School
Graduate of Ouachita Baptist University - Bachelor of Arts, Political Science
Graduate of the National Sheriffs' Institute - F.B.I. Academy
Graduate of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Leader Class for Quality and Excellence in Law Enforcement. Presented by the F.B.I. and the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Arkansas
Graduate of the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement Executive Management Institute presented by the University of Arkansas
Certified Law Enforcement Instructor through the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training
First Officer in Baxter County to hold the Senior Certificate in Law Enforcement - the highest level of police certification - Also holds all four other certificates awarded by Standards and Training

Other Law Enforcement Positions held:

Accomplishments as Baxter County Sheriff:

Developed Specialized Units within the Sheriff's Office
Established a Water Patrol for the lakes and rivers
Established a certified Underwater Rescue/Recovery Team
Established a Canine Unit for searches and drug eradication
Acquired a helicopter through army surplus for anti-drug efforts and searches
Expanded the D.A.R.E. program in all three Baxter County School Districts
Installed video cameras in county patrol vehicles
Purchased Baxter County's first Computer Voice Stress Analyzer, a tool utilized for truth verification in law enforcement
Purchased a Robot Patrol Car with seized drug funds for youth drug-prevention programs
Established Deputies on School Bus program for the safety of school children
Established Senior Safe - Senior Adult Safety and Crime Prevention
Established Anti-Crime Programs including Neighborhood Watch, 24-hour patrols, Crime Stoppers
Established one of the best Reserve Deputy Programs in Arkansas
Established Project Lifesaver; a program designed to locate missing adults with all types of dementia, including Alzheimer Disease, and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down Syndrome

Awards:

1980 - U.S. Child Safety Council Award for recognition of Concern for Children of Baxter County
1982 - Second place North Central Arkansas/Southern Missouri Peace Officers' Shooting Award
1984 - Veterans of Foreign Wars Award Highest Ideals of Law Enforcement
1985 - Award of Honor for Outstanding Contributions and Services to the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association
1987 - Leadership Award - Arkansas Sheriffs' Association - for unselfish leadership and dedication to law enforcement
1988 - Award of Honor for years of service to the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association by helping provide quality law enforcement education to the citizens of Baxter County
1988 - Twin Lakes Youth Organization Award for Recognizing the Needs of Youth
1991 - Award of Honor for outstanding support to the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association
1992 - Certificate of Recognition - Outstanding Public Service in Law Enforcement - from Governor William J. Clinton
1992-93 - Award of Honor - Recognized as a model law enforcement leader - Arkansas Sheriffs' Association
1996 - Services Rendered Award - The Salvation Army
2001 - Elks Distinguished Citizenship Award
2003 - City of Briarcliff Award - for setting up first metro patrol in Baxter County provided outstanding response to concerns and safety of citizens
2004 - Meritorious Service Award - Arkansas Sheriff's Association