Interim sheriff wants military truck out of Christian County

The interim sheriff of Christian County is asking Missouri senators to transfer a military vehicle out of the county, a little over a year after former sheriff Joey Kyle acquired it from the Department of Defense.

Dwight McNiel, who was appointed interim sheriff on June 4 after Kyle pleaded guilty to embezzlement and aiding a fraud scheme, sent out a news release Thursday evening outlining the actions his department had taken in the past week.

Attached to the release was a letter McNiel had sent to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill asking that her office "make contact with and facilitate through the Department of Defense the return and recovery of this vehicle from Christian County."

The vehicle in question is a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP. In a News-Leader article regarding Kyle's acquisition of the vehicle, he said the truck would be used in a crisis situation.

"In the case of some kind of an armed incursion where some assailants were actively putting rounds downrange, we would use this vehicle to get innocents out of the line of fire and take officers into the line of fire to have them respond," Kyle is quoted as saying in the article.

McNiel, in his letter to McCaskill, did not share Kyle's view.

"I have lived here for more than half a century and at no time do I know of any incident which has given or would give rise to the justification of the use of this type of vehicle," McNiel wrote.

"The cost to store, maintain and insure the MRAP is a burden to the taxpayers of Christian County and, frankly, it projects the presence of a militarized law enforcement agency which I find unacceptable."

Kyle had said it cost $500 to transport the truck to Christian County, and estimated yearly maintenance costs at $1,000. Otherwise, Kyle had said, the truck was free.

The letter also says he has sent the same request to U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and Rep. Billy Long.

McNiel's release also listed several other steps he is taking to "make the Department more efficient and user-friendly while eliminating waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer monies."

According to the release, the department has been restocked with basic supplies, which it was "seriously lacking." A subscription to Sirius XM satellite radio for Kyle's personal vehicle was canceled, as were subscriptions for several satellite telephones.

A $300-per-month contract supplying two encrypted cellphones to the department was also canceled.

The department, with help from the Springfield Fire Department Bomb Squad, also moved a quantity of C-4 explosives and blasting caps to a secure location at the Springfield Police Department.

Procedure changes were implemented to increase the number of officers on the road, according to the release, and new policies were implemented to "mandate contact and cooperation with the municipalities within Christian County."

According to the release, a new policy at the Christian County Jail will impact the use of the 24-hour hold provisions, and the book and release policy with detention for people arrested for municipal DWIs had been modified. The release did not go into detail about these changes.

The release also says a policy is in place to "eliminate the incarceration of arrestees on municipal ordinance violations."

McNiel writes in the release that the county commission and Christian County attorney were briefed on legal and personnel issues, as well as the modifications to the jail policies and procedures, and that proposals have been submitted regarding "significant changes in the budgeting process moving forward."

The special election for Christian County sheriff will take place Aug. 4.