Meet the New Warren County Sheriff Barry Riley Committed to Service

Warren County: Barry Riley is the new sheriff, and he’s a local guy through and through. Born and raised here, he graduated from Lebanon High School. After serving in the Army, he spent 30 years at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, working his way up through the ranks before being elected sheriff last November.

Riley ran for office because he felt a strong sense of duty. He mentioned how much the community has invested in him, saying, “I owed this.” He sees the members of the sheriff’s office as family, having grown up with many of them.

As sheriff, he’s set a clear mission: “We seek out those in need and strive to help.” This is what he wants everyone in the office to focus on. He took over from Larry Sims, who retired after 15 years. Riley has a lot of training and is close to finishing his criminal justice degree at the University of Cincinnati. He lives in Morrow with his wife and their grown son.

Riley has some changes in mind, like improving the department’s social media presence. He’s also rebranding, with new sheriff’s star overlays on the cruisers, including his own. He joked about how odd it feels to see his name on the cruiser.

He’s now in charge of 218 full-time employees, including various roles from corrections officers to detectives. He emphasized that everyone plays a vital role in achieving the office’s mission. The sheriff’s salary for 2025 will be $127,725, overseeing a budget of $31.9 million, which includes contracts for policing services in nearby areas.

Interestingly, Riley won’t have a chief deputy on his team. Instead, he’s reallocating that salary to create more opportunities within the office. The responsibilities he had will be shared among the division commanders, who each bring years of experience.

Currently, there are seven job openings, including positions for corrections and deputy sheriffs. Riley acknowledged that recruiting is tough but believes in developing talent from within. He’s optimistic that the passion for law enforcement will return.

This year, deputies will be equipped with body cameras, and they have plans to add more drug detection K-9s. The jail, which opened in 2021, currently houses about 218 inmates daily. Riley also mentioned the need to expand their drone capabilities, as they only have three right now.

One noticeable change is that Riley has started calling snow emergencies again. He issued the first one in the county since 2012. While his predecessor felt these were often misunderstood, Riley believes it’s crucial for public safety. He wants to keep motorists informed about road conditions, especially when it comes to snow.

In Ohio, sheriffs can declare snow emergencies at three levels, depending on the severity of the conditions. Riley is committed to ensuring the safety of the community, and he feels it’s his responsibility to alert the public when necessary.