When Cowley County Sheriff? Bob Odell retires in January he will have the honor of being the longest serving sheriff of Cowley County.
He also has the honor of being named the Kansas Sheriff’s Association Sheriff of the Year and a recipient of the Meritorious Service Award from the National FBI Academy for the many contributions to the criminal justice profession.
The examples Odell has set in both his personal and professional life were also cited for the service award presented in April. A career involving significant community activity and innovative programs were cited for the award from the sheriff’s association presented at a conference in Wichita this fall.
"It’s quite an honor from your sheriffs, " Odell said.
He was hired as a deputy in November 1966 and appointed undersheriff in `1974. When former sheriff Fred Satterthwaite retired in 1985, Odell became sheriff. He has continuously been elected and re-elected by significant margins for five consecutive additional terms.
Odell chose not to run again and will step down in January when Don Read assumes the office. Read has served as Odell’s undersheriff and was elected to a four-year term as sheriff last month. Bill Mueller, the son of former sheriff Harold Mueller – who hired Odell – will become Read’s undersheriff.
Odell is a graduate of the 160th session of the FBI National Academy and has been active with academy activities since the. He has encouraged advanced career development by his staff and has been active in state law enforcement organizations and activities throughout his career.
Odell is past president and treasurer of the state sheriff’s association and past president of the Southern Kansas-Northern Oklahoma Peace Officer’s Association. In 2000, Odell as appointed by the Kansas governor to the Kansas?Commission on Peace Officer’s Standards and Training and has continued to serve as a member of the commission. He has also served on and been chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Commission.
The county juvenile shelter, the 911 system, Neighborhood Watch groups and the drug task force all received Odell’s attention along with numerous other projects.
"However, perhaps Sheriff Odell’s most difficult and significant professional accomplishment has been obtaining county commission and community approval to replace the old, outdated and undersized Cowley County Sheriff’s Office and jail with a new and modern facility," Mueller said.
