Meet The Bell Co. Sheriff Candidates - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

Bell County voters will make history this year, when they elect the first new sheriff in more than two decades and two candidates are vying for that spot. Republican candidate Eddy Lange and Democratic candidate Frank Hernandez.

Bell County officers will know who their new boss is, in just a few weeks.

The question is, will it be Democrat Frank Hernandez or Republican Eddy Lange?

"A lot of it has to do with money," said Eddy Lange. He says he understands the Sheriff Department's problems and it's money. They need more of it, but Lange says he has a plan.

"We're gonna do everything we can to go try to get some grants to get more money into the department to improve our equipment, improve our personnel, and try to improve morale," he said.

And he wants to make changes to the Bell County Jail.

"Our policy is going to be as soon as we get there we're going to go to a permanent shift," said Lange.

Workers now have rotating shifts, but Lange says this new shift change will allow them to go back to school and spend more time with their families.

When it comes to voter's concerns, the republican candidate says he would put more deputies in rural areas.

"That goes back to the fact that we're just undermanned. We've had no new field deputies in the last 20 years and look at the population growth," he said.

But with the help of grants, Lange says he can put more deputies on the road, but he'll have to wait and see if he get's enough votes, first.

"All I'm asking is the citizens of Bell County and our employees at the Sheriff's Department, hey, give us a chance," he said.

"My passion has always been law enforcement, I mean I wouldn't have been there so long if it wasn't you know," said the Democratic candidate, Frank Hernandez.

Hernandez spent 17 and half years working in the Bell County Sheriff Department.

He left to go into cardiology but is hoping to get back into law enforcement, as the Bell County Sheriff.

"It comes down to just money," he said. Hernandez says the departments biggest problem stems from money issues.

"With any kind of revenue that we can take in, not necessarily by writing a bunch of speeding tickets but just to work with the budget," he said.

He plans to make some changes that will help put more deputies on the road, which he says is a concern amongst voters.

"Cut down on vehicle costs, maintenance costs, vehicle costs, and with that money try to hire some more deputies and promote some of those from within," said Hernandez.

His opponent wants to change scheduling at the Bell County Jail, from rotating shifts to permanent shifts. Hernandez says it won't work. "That's easier said than done because I've worked in the jail and I worked those three different shifts and although they may look good on paper, the sole reality of if may not be so great," he said.

Hernandez not only worked in the jail but was a deputy, an investigator, and even worked on the SWAT team. It's experience that he says makes him a good fit for the job.

"That's what I hope to bring, someone who's gonna be strong, a hands on Sheriff, a working Sheriff, and been there and done that," he said.

This will be the first election in 28 years that Bell County Sheriff Dan Smith will not be running. He is retiring this year.