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20. Homer Allen “Steve” Stevens, Jr.

Twentieth Sheriff of Kendall County - January 1989 - December 1992

 

Sheriff Homer Stevens

 

In November 1988, Stevens ran for Sheriff of Kendall County and defeated the incumbent, Lee D'Spain, by 159 votes.  During Stevens tenure as sheriff, his contributions to the Sheriff's Department are still felt today.  He applied for and obtained state certification of the jail so they could "legally" hold prisoners and then required all deputies and jailers to obtain state certification.  He then instituted a procedure placing identifying and distinct numbers on prisoner's pictures to coincide with their fingerprints, making them easily identifiable.  He wrote the first Rules Manuals for the Kendall County Sheriff's Department and wrote and obtained a grant for the first computer system in the county.  Stevens asked for and received approval to purchase the first fax machine for department business. The vehicle fleet was upgraded for the safety of the deputies during the four years he was in office.  In 1992 Stevens and D'Spain and a third candidate ran in the March Republican primary.  The vote was so close that a runoff election was held in April.  D'Spain won the runoff and was unopposed in the general election.

 

Source: Tomlinson, Richard. "Homer Allen "Steve" Stevens, Jr." Keys to the Past. Vol. XXXVIII No. 2, Fall/Winter 2019.

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