Jackson County Sheriff Shawn Haken announced on Saturday that he will not seek re-election in 2027 and will retire at the end of this year. Haken says he knew it was time.
“You know, I’ve been in law enforcement for thirty four years. That’s a long run once you get to thirty. I think anybody starts to think, you know, all right, how much longer should I. And at the end of the day, I think everybody knows when your gas tank is running low, you know. And I’ve known that for a couple of years. So yeah. Nope. I definitely announced that this is my last term. So this term will go to the end of this year.”
Sheriff Haken is looking forward to retirement.
“When you’re in law enforcement, you know you’re going to miss out on a lot of family stuff. So I think all of us, when we retire, you look forward to maybe catching up on some of that stuff. So my kids might get sick and tired of me, but they’re probably going to see me a little bit more, no doubt. So I’ve got family too, that farms up by Storden and I’ve helped them probably since I was a teen.”
Sheriff Haken says there are two groups of people to thank with the first being the people of Jackson County.
“I always thought the best type of leader to be was the servant leader. It’s not about me. It never has been. It never should be. Not in this type of position. It’s about the people. And you can kind of break them down into two groups. It’s about the public and it’s about your staff. Obviously, the public puts a lot of trust in you, and for that I’ll forever be grateful for the voters, so to speak, and the people of our county for ten years. They let me kind of run this wild ride, so to speak. And it’s been amazing.”
The second group he is thankful for is the staff.
“You’re only as good as your staff is. I was always about our staff because they’re the ones that are answering the phone calls. They’re. They’re working at night when everybody’s sleeping. They deserve a ton of credit. So for me, yeah. Who do I think the people that I’ve worked with over the years, no doubt, and the current staff and the people themselves, we’ve got a great county, a lot of spirit in this county too, you know. So and that’ll never go away.”
Sheriff Haken will retire at the end of this year after 34 years of law enforcement service.
Below is the email he sent to our News Department.
After 34 years in law enforcement, I am announcing that I will not seek another term and will be retiring at the end of the year. It has been both a privilege and an honor to serve as Sheriff for the past 10 years. During those 34 years, I have worked with a lot of amazing public servants in law enforcement and emergency services. Together, we were always committed to protecting and serving the public. To the dedicated and professional men and women at our Sheriff’s Office – Thank You! None of this would have been possible if it were not for your hard work, professionalism, and dedication. You have been the ones answering the calls, making the tough decisions, and working the long hours. I am proud of the work you do for the people and proud to have worked alongside you. I am leaving our department in great hands! Most of all, I need to thank my family for their support throughout the years. They understood the sacrifices that come with this profession. Without them, I could not have done it. I look forward to spending more time with them. I might even dust off the golf clubs.
Respectfully, Shawn Haken
