Letter to the Editor: The right person to lead the Jasper County Sheriff’s office

My name is Duane Rozendaal, and I am currently the Chief Deputy with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office in Newton. I have held this position, under the command of Sheriff John Halferty, since my retirement from the Iowa State Patrol in January of 2013.

As many of you know, Sheriff Halferty is finishing his service as Sheriff in December of 2024. Sheriff Halferty has been instrumental in leading the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office to the level of professionalism that it has today. Lt. Brad Shutts has been a vital part of that success. If Lt. Shutts is elected, he has the knowledge, experience, and desire to continue to lead the Sheriff’s Office in the current path of excellence.

Lt. Shutts has knowledge of all aspects of the Sheriff’s Office day-to-day operations. Lt. Shutts has provided assistance and leadership with budget needs, establishing state-of-the-art communications, and hiring new communications operators, deputies and jail staff.

The current Sheriff holds his employees to the highest standard of integrity. The hiring process utilizes board interviews, polygraph testing, MMPI and a thorough background investigation. Once an applicant meets these rigorous qualifications, they are invited to be part of the team. If elected, Lt. Brad Shutts will uphold these same standards for current employees and new employees in the future. There is no doubt that Lt. Shutts is the right person to lead the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office into the future. He embodies all the qualities that are required to lead well as the successor to Sheriff John Halferty.

Lt. Shutts is a dedicated and thoughtful individual and has the utmost respect for everyone he encounters. I have had the opportunity to work with Lt. Shutts’s father, Mike Shutts, over the years. Due to his father’s positive influence, Lt. Shutts knows what it means to be a servant-hearted leader and has a long heritage of law enforcement that will benefit him as the next Sheriff of Jasper County.

I have met Lt. Shutts’ family, and it is apparent he has a great support team at home with his wife and sons, and extended family. I know firsthand that having that support will help his endeavors if he is elected to the Jasper County Sheriff position. I look forward, and appreciate the opportunity, to serve in future years under Brad Shutts.

Duane Rozendaal

Chief Deputy, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office