Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell has announced that he will retire at the end of the year. Sheriff Kurt Picknell stated, “The sheriff’s office was established in 1839 and I am honored to serve as your 43rd Sheriff. Public safety serves a key role in preserving the peace and increasing the high quality of life in Walworth County.”
My immediate thanks goes to the dedicated employees and their families for the 24 hours a day shared sacrifice to the mission driven focus for public safety in Walworth County. With 35 years in law enforcement and the last 8 years as your sheriff, my theme of continual self-improvement and organizational improvement is accomplished with professional and compassionate employees as well as the ongoing display of public support. I am exceedingly proud that the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) awarded full accreditation to the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office on December 11, 2017 and reaccreditation in 2020 for this prestigious law enforcement agency status. Other initiatives include; body worn cameras, a third K-9 with a deputy for patrol coverage to all 3 shifts, a crowd control team, enhanced jail inmate screening at booking, deputy assigned patrol squad cars, employee wellness/peer support, TRIAD crime prevention for older adults, a school resource deputy at Lakeland School, and a countywide public safety radio system replacement/upgrade with projected completion in 2024. These examples and more reflect the professional complexity of the entire operation including 911Communications, Corrections, Investigations, Patrol, and Support Services. There are also highly skilled specialty teams, support staff, and excellent command staff leadership in place to meet future public safety challenges.
Walworth County Board Chair Nancy Russell stated, “I have known and worked with Sheriff Kurt Picknell ever since he was Undersheriff when I was first elected to the County Board of Supervisors in 2002. He has demonstrated a caring, positive influence to everyone he interacts with while strongly advocating for the funding of the sheriff’s office. Kurt has the respect and confidence of the county departments. Sheriff Picknell’s shoes will be hard to fill, but I’m certain he will be available to help the transition occur smoothly”.
Walworth County Administrator Mark Luberda stated, “Sheriff Picknell has been a pleasure to work with during my time with the County. His spirit of cooperation and dedication to constantly improving the Sheriff’s Office has been a benefit to everyone who lives, works, or visits the County.”