© 2025 NPR Illinois
The Capital's Community & News Service since 1975
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sangamon County Sheriff's office changing its hiring process

Sheriff Paula Crouch told the Sangamon County Board’s Jail Committee at an Oct. 15 meeting that she will voluntarily enact more thorough background checks and other reforms that the County Board previously declined to mandate.
Dean Olsen
/
Sheriff Paula Crouch told the Sangamon County Board’s Jail Committee at an Oct. 15 meeting that she will voluntarily enact more thorough background checks and other reforms that the County Board previously declined to mandate.

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department in Springfield is changing the way it hires deputies.

That’s according to Sheriff Paula Crouch.

She stepped in after former sheriff Jack Campbell resigned … due to the shooting death of Sonya [SAHN-yuh] Massey at the hands of one of his deputies.

Crouch says one of the changes is giving their merit commission the power to disqualify an applicant, after reviewing an extensive background check.

"There's always opportunity to improve, and no matter what topic we're talking about, whether it's patrol, whether it's change in policies, whether it's our community outreach, because that's just my belief," added Crouch.

Massey was an unarmed Black woman who was killed by former sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, after she had called 9-1-1 to her home for help.

Grayson is in jail awaiting trial on first degree murder charges.

The U-S Justice Department is investigating the sheriff’s department and county for civil rights violations.

Katie O’Connell is AM Editor at Illinois public radio station WBEZ.
Related Stories