Passing the badge

There’s a new sheriff in town, or soon will be, and local residents can rest easy knowing there is a smooth changing of the guard pending at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Kirk Handrup ended a 43-year career in law enforcement earlier this year, announcing his retirement. Filling his seat will be a familiar local face as Jeromy McCoy changes from the blue uniforms of the Nebraska State Patrol to the signature brown representing the Sheriff’s Department.
Hamilton County tips its hat to Handrup, who devoted a majority of his career to protecting and serving residents here. Handrup served the department for 37 years, the last 30 as county sheriff, providing stability throughout his tenure.
Handrup worked hard for the men and women under his command, and for local citizens. In recent years, he went to bat for and successfully oversaw the unification of the Hamilton County Law Enforcement Center. The facility upgrade and behind-the-scenes work involved with that project brought the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, Aurora Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol representatives all under one roof here in Aurora, which made sense for all parties involved.
More recently, he led the effort to upgrade the county’s 911 system, which now offers state-of-the-art emergency communications to both Hamilton and Merrick counties.
Mr. Kirk Handrup has served our county honorably and we wish him well in retirement.
Filling the remainder of his term through 2022 is a man who has also earned respect throughout his law enforcement career. Jeromy McCoy has worn a badge and a gun for 27 years, all of that with the Nebraska State Patrol. For the last 16 years he and his family have lived in Aurora, where he has been active in his church and community. 
That combined experience, local knowledge and previously established relationships made McCoy a solid choice to serve as our new sheriff.
Congrats to both these fine men on their milestone achievements.
Kurt Johnson