Warner to run for Highland County Sheriff

Highland County Sheriff Richard L. Warner, Jr. has announced his campaign for Highland County Sheriff.

Warner was appointed Highland County Sheriff on Nov. 26 by the Highland County Republican Central Committee, replacing longtime sheriff Ron Ward.

"What I stressed in my interview with the committee, and what I am focused on now, is I don't want to see the office going backward with personnel or assets we have," Warner said.

Among the "assets" Warner spoke of, he said, are the aviation, special response and K-9 programs, which he said he "doesn't want to see done away with."

"As the economy gets stronger, I would like personnel to increase and get some manpower back that we've lost," Warner said.

Warner said his "number-one priority is keeping students safe at home and when they are away from home," and since becoming sheriff, he has sent letters home with students regarding the presence of officers within the schools.

Warner said that his plans for the sheriff's office include taking a more active role in the community, including educational programs and community outreach. Warner said that crime watch programs are being established in smaller communities such as Buford and Sinking Spring.

Warner also wants the sheriff's office to continue to work actively in helping agencies across the county with local law enforcement and in combating the ongoing drug problem in Highland County and beyond.

"We will continue to combat the drug issue here and work to stop suppliers in other areas bringing drugs into the county," Warner said, adding that the sheriff's office will continue to work with "state, local and federal agencies" on this issue.

Warner has been working for the Highland County Sheriff's Office since June 1995, where he has served in many different capacities, including corrections officer, communications officer, road patrol officer and road patrol supervisor. Warner has most recently served as a supervisor in the detective division, where Warner said he was responsible for criminal, narcotic and major crime investigations. Warner also has worked as an agent with the regional US 23 Pipeline Major Crime/Narcotic Task Force since 2010. He was given the Top Cop Drug Buster of the Year Award in 2011 and was recently presented the 2013 Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association's Outstanding Peace Officer Award.

Prior to joining the Highland County Sheriff's Office, Warner worked as a patrolman for the Village of Lynchburg, starting in December 1993.

Warner is a Lynchburg-Clay graduate and graduated from the Ohio Peace Officer Training Council, Great Oaks, in Sharonville. He holds a law enforcement training certificate and a corrections basic training certificate and has taken a number of continuing education courses in such fields as drug and alcohol enforcement, school violence training, dispatch training, firearms training, investigations training and road patrol training.

Warner is a member of the Republican Club, Republican Executive Committee, Farm Bureau, Ohio Trustees Association and Hillsboro Rotary Club and is a board member of the Highland County Habitat For Humanity and Lynchburg Joint Fire/EMS District. He is the Community Crime Watch Program Coordinate at Rocky Fork Lake, Paint Township.

Warner and his wife, Kristy, have a son, Logan, 8, and a daughter, Lacey, 2. He and his family are "active members of the Pricetown Church of Christ," Warner said.

Jim Faust is serving as committee chair, and Ross Greer is treasurer of Warner's campaign.

Warner said serving as sheriff has been "a lifelong dream."

"From the beginning of my career, as soon as I graduated from high school, my goal was to be sheriff," Warner said.

"My entire adult life has been devoted to protecting the citizens of this county. I don't see myself doing anything other than this. I am looking forward to continuing to serve the citizens of the county and making a difference."