The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Carthage–
Sheriff Travis Duffy announces that he will be running in the June 28 primary election in an effort to continue serving as Hancock County Sheriff.
“There has never been a question in my mind whether or not I would run; of course the answer was always yes,” shared Duffy.
“My first priority since May of 2021 as the Sheriff of Hancock County, was to do my job and do it well.”
With the election being moved to June, Duffy decided not to campaign through the family holidays.
“With the days getting longer and warmer weather around the corner, it’s time to get to work and win this election,” stated Duffy.
Duffy has worked at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office for over 22 years. He was hired as a full-time Deputy Sheriff by Sheriff John Jefferson in 2000.
“After beginning my employment, for nearly 20 years I worked the “graveyard shift” and absolutely loved working nights,” explained Duffy.
In early 2021, Sheriff Scott Bentzinger asked Duffy to be his Chief Deputy. Starting March 1, 2021, Duffy transitioned to the position.
“It was a big change for me going to day shift after almost 20 years of working nights,” said Duffy.
Approximately 45 days into his new role as Chief Deputy, Sheriff Bentzinger announced that he was would retire at the end of May 2021. “Sheriff Bentzinger thoroughly supported me in filling his shoes as the next Sheriff and I was unanimously voted in as the Hancock County Sheriff by the Hancock County Board, and was sworn in as Sheriff on May 28, 2021,” stated Duffy.
Duffy is 47 years old and the son of Gib and Barb Duffy. He grew up in Carthage and graduated from Carthage High School. After graduating high school, he attended Carl Sandburg College in Carthage for two years, graduating with an Associate’s Degree.
“I continued to further my education by attending Western Illinois University, where I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree,” explained Duffy.
“I majored in Law Enforcement and minored in Sociology.”
In 1996, Duffy started serving on the Carthage Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. In 1998, he began part-time employment for the Carthage Police Department. In 1999, in addition to working as a Carthage Police Officer, he began part-time employment with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office as a 911 dispatcher, correctional officer, and road deputy.
“Over the last two decades, I have had over a thousand hours of training, including going to Quantico, VA and training with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Methamphetamine and Meth labs,” explained Duffy.
“I spent many hours training at the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center in Johnston, IA.”
Duffy has also trained with the FBI, Illinois State Police, Illinois and Iowa Departments of Corrections, and numerous law enforcement officers from all over the United States.
“Most recently, I completed training with the Illinois Sheriff’s Association with Sheriffs from throughout the State,” added Duffy. He is also proud to be an Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America.
Duffy resides just outside of Basco on a family farm with Jennifer, his wife of 17 years. Their daughter, Tegan, is a junior at Illinois State University in Bloomington, studying to become a teacher. Their son, Ryder, is a freshman at West Hancock High School in Warsaw, and their son, Maverick, is in the second grade at Warsaw Elementary School.
“On our farm we have an 80 head cow/calf operation. We raise calves to approximately 600 pounds before they are sold,” said Duffy. Having cattle keeps them busy on the farm.
“I would like to give a lot of credit to our son, Ryder. He loves his cattle and for only being 14 years old, he works hard and gets things done. We ask a lot of him and are thankful for all of his help, especially after I became Sheriff and am not at home as much,” said Duffy.
Since he took over as the Sheriff of Hancock County, he has faced and overcome several obstacles.
“The State of Illinois passed several new laws and training mandates that have been quite challenging,” explained Duffy.
“It’s difficult when staff must be gone to training and someone else has to cover their shift, but it is necessary to expand their knowledge and expertise.”
Duffy has also added three full-time deputies through the training academy and hired a fourth.
“It’s taken right at 11 and a half months to get us back to full staff,” explained Duffy.
“The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is so fortunate to have the staff we do. Being so short-handed this past Summer and Fall, Deputies, Dispatchers, and Jail Staff have worked long hard hours.”
Duffy said they gave up vacation time and days off to get the job done.
“I am so proud of all of my staff. When you have a good group of people that are willing to do whatever it takes, you know you have amazing employees, which are hard to come by in today’s world,” praised Duffy.
At the helm of the 24 full-time and 10 part-time employees, Duffy oversees the day-to-day operations of the Deputies and the jail, and also supervises the 20 member Hancock County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Corps. “As Sheriff, I am caretaker of the courthouse and in charge of it’s security,” explained Duffy.
He is also responsible for the Sheriff’s Office budget. “The budget is something that I keep in mind daily. I review every single bill that comes through this office and must approve it before it goes to the County Board for payment approval. It’s the taxpayers’ money that pays these bills and I am vigilant of where and how the money is spent,” stated Duffy.
In 2021, the Sheriff’s Office handled just under 7,000 calls for service. Deputies conducted approximately 1,750 traffic stops, handled 285 vehicle crashes, served 714 civil papers, and 720 people were processed through the jail. Currently the jail population is in the mid to upper 30’s and it was recently up to 42.
“Currently, one of the biggest problems in our county is methamphetamine. If you look at cases involving theft, burglary, domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual assault, and many others, methamphetamine is likely involved in many of these criminal acts,” explained Duffy.
Fighting the methamphetamine crisis was his main focus when he worked night shift, and Duffy says it still is.
“There is no one in this county, past or present, that has taken as much meth off the street as I have in my years of service,” added Duffy.
“I saw the pain and suffering in our community caused by this drug and that is what drove me night in and night out to find it and get it off the street.”
As Sheriff, Duffy is committed to the citizens of the County and his office will fight around the clock to get meth off the streets.
“With the majority of the meth being imported from across the United States’ southern border, it’s going to be a long hard battle, but one definitely worth fighting,” added Duffy.
Duffy feels that the Sheriff’s Office is moving in a positive direction and he has been making minor adjustments in how they accomplish things.
“It takes time when you have new employees, but we are committed to serving and protecting the citizens of Hancock County in the best way possible,” said Duffy.
“There is always room for improvement and we strive every day and night to be better.”
Duffy feels humbled and honored to serve as Sheriff.
“The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office has given me an amazing career over the last 22 years. I have been very fortunate to be doing something I love, every day. Being Sheriff is a tough job. To do it right, I make myself available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but I would not want it any other way,” said Duffy.
“Everyone in this office is extremely grateful for all of the support that we are constantly given from the citizens of Hancock County,” said Duffy.
“It has been amazing considering what is going on in other parts of the country. I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and I pledge to continue to do what’s best for our county and communities. I am asking for your vote to allow me to continue serving as your Hancock County Sheriff.”