Steve Howe: I’m the district attorney to keep Johnson County safe and strong | Opinion

I’m Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe. Just like in many cases I’ve prosecuted where the facts fail my opponent, in this election my political opponent used this opinion section to spin a false, if not bizarre narrative to confuse the truth.

The documented facts are that during my tenure, according to Kansas Bureau of Investigation records, the crime rate dropped 20% and kept in check despite the county growing by more than 100,000 residents, producing the lowest urban crime rate in our region. It’s due to our tough-on-crime approach, delivering justice equally without favor. We have to date achieved 96,000 convictions, sending a clear warning to criminals.

We are a fully staffed office with expertise to tackle the toughest cases. The cumulative experience of attorneys in my office is at an all-time high — accomplished and award-winning prosecutors, men and women who invest their lives in the pursuit of justice. I have been a prosecutor for more than 34 years, 16 of which I have served as district attorney, and our current team is the strongest and most effective with whom I’ve worked in my career.

But this election is not just about convictions. It’s about leadership both in and out of the courtroom. I led an initiative eliminating the backlog of untested sexual assault kits, which had persisted for years. We shook things up and cleared the backlog entirely, Arrests were made and justice was finally achieved for many victims.

I also led efforts updating our laws to tackle evolving threats. I worked with legislators to pass bipartisan legislation giving law enforcement new tools and stronger penalties for criminals engaged in distributing fentanyl, and we passed increased penalties for those who defraud and abuse our older adults.

My opponent has a different legislative agenda, including cashless bail — an initiative putting criminals right back on the street immediately following an arrest. She has also explicitly stated that she would adopt practices from Jackson County, Missouri, a notoriously high crime jurisdiction.

By contrast, whether domestic violence, sexual assault or other violent crime, my office works hard to keep criminals off the street, hold them accountable and achieve justice for victims. The victims of crime are always our first priority when a case comes to our office. We work daily with partner agencies Safehome, Sunflower House and MOCSA to support victims and get them critical resources.

I should note that a conviction, alone, is not the end of our task. We have championed initiatives reducing recidivism, including a youth court, a veterans court, behavioral health and drug treatment courts and programs to address minor infractions by juveniles to get them back on track. All of these are designed to help qualifying individuals back to a productive path, not just dropped back on the street in the same circumstance that brought them into contact with law enforcement in the first place.

While I am proud of these accomplishments, I must share credit with our outstanding law enforcement agencies and civic leaders who have been invaluable partners in our pursuit to make Johnson County a safe and prospering community. I am honored by the support in this election from retired police chiefs including Steve Menke, John Douglass, John Meier, Rob Mosher, Larry Larimore and former Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning. (Current city chiefs are prohibited from political activity). Additionally, I am proud of the support I have received from former Mayors Mike Boehm, Peggy Dunn and Carl Gerlach, and former mayor and County Commission chair Ed Eilert, along with Kansas state Sens. Molly Baumgardner and former state Sen. Kay Wolf. These are community leaders who know our work and with whom we have worked side by side in the pursuit of justice.

I would be honored by your vote on Election Day as we continue working together to keep Johnson County safe and strong.