For the first time in nearly two decades, Greene County has a new sheriff in town.
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Greene County Commission officially accepted Sheriff Jim Arnott's resignation and appointed Jason Johnson as the interim sheriff. Arnott recently received a confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate months after President Donald Trump nominated him to serve as U.S. Marshal
for the Western District of Missouri.Arnott’s becomes effective 4 p.m. Tuesday, at which time Johnson is scheduled to be sworn in.
The commission set out an application process shortly after Arnott's nomination was announced. Johnson was the only one to apply for the interim role. He has served as the Greene County Sheriff's Office administrative captain since late 2024.
However, he has been with the department in different capacities since 1998.
As the commission accepted Arnott’s resignation, which he presented with a joking "I quit," the commissioners congratulated the longtime leader and thanked him for his service.
"I'm just very impressed with the way you put the constituents first, the people first, your deputies first, with a heart for service and just want to ensure that our community stays safe," said Commissioner John Russell.
Protesters criticize ICE contract
Once the commission unanimously passed an order appointing Johnson as sheriff upon Arnott's resignation, Johnson's comments were interrupted by chants of protesters with the Immigrant Justice Collaborative criticizing the Greene County Jail housing detainees held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The group had also gathered outside prior to the meeting Tuesday morning, calling for an end to the contract. Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon swiftly directed them to leave and told them disruption would not be tolerated.
The Greene County Jail has had a long-standing intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. Marshals to house federal detainees receiving $100 per day per inmate. ICE was added as a rider on this contract in October 2024 with the per-diem cost remaining the same. The ICJ has been critical of the agreement, tracking an increase in the number of people without a criminal charge held for ICE in the jail, and arguing it acts as a monetary incentive to arrest "people for being immigrants."
Johnson, speaking with local news media following the commission meeting, said he plans to continue to honor the contract. He said while he is open to having dialogue with community groups regarding ICE detention, both he and Arnott said they have had numerous conversations with this group previously that have not resulted in any productive resolutions.
Arnott told local news media he does not have any regrets regarding the contract and noted that the agreement was simply a way for the jail to be reimbursed but, under state law, they are required to accept federal detainees regardless. However, Greene County Jail is one of only four county detention facilities in the state to hold people for ICE.
Addressing the disruption, Dixon stated at the end of the commission meeting that that approach was "ineffective and divisive." While he noted that everyone was always welcome at commission meetings, he said discussion, not disruption, was a way to have an impact.
Johnson sets plans for future
Johnson has a lot of experience with the Greene County Sheriff's Office and is a Springfield native. In taking on the top role, he said he is "ready to get to work."
He plans to lead the GCSO similarly to Arnott's approach but also has key points for changes he is planning in the future. Johnson said he will prioritize training for staff, focus on drug intervention efforts and hopes to improve staffing. Among his top priorities are body-worn cameras. Johnson was the one to take on asix-month-long study of AI-enabled body cameraslate last year and said he is now hoping to find funding for the equipment. The use of body-worn cameras was a key topic during Arnott'sfinal election as sheriffwhen the long-time sheriff was challenged in the Republican primary and was against the use of them in private areas.
While Johnson will serve in the interim role through the end of 2026, Greene County citizens will still have to elect their future sheriff. The race will be placed on the Nov. 3 ballot, with each political party's county central committee selecting a candidate to represent them. Johnson was already positioned to run when he applied for the role and said he had a meeting Tuesday night with the Republican central committee regarding his nomination.
Johnson's campaign committee had already raised more than $100,000 as of July 15, according to filings with the Missouri Ethics Commission. He said because of his lifelong ties to Springfield, the money raised is a testament to the trust the people he knows have in him as sheriff.
"I'm not a politician, I'm a lawman," Johnson said, noting fundraising efforts so far have only happened within his inner circle.
For Arnott, who will stay on a week or two to help with the transition, especially as the county takes on its budget process, the change is a strange one. He has been Greene County Sheriff since 2008 but has spent most of his life with the department and witnessed the department's exponential growth throughout the years.
"This is my family — I grew up with all of them," Arnott said.
In taking on the role of U.S. Marshal, Arnott said his time in Greene County will directly translate into that new role, which he described as a "federal sheriff." He said all his established relationships with the sheriffs in the region will also come in handy as he takes on the federal job. Even so, this will be the first time in nearly 20 years that he is not in an elected seat.
"I won't be able to say what I just want to say, to be quite honest ... I will work for the president. I've always been elected to something, and as an elected official, I can say whatever I want, and have," Arnott said. "But I won't be in a public role, I'll be in an operational role, and so that will be kind of a different thing, not a bad thing."
Before he fully moves on, Arnott will stay in Greene County for the next week or so to help with the transition, especially as the county begins its budgeting process. He said with the size of the agency, a lot of the job is much like running a business and taking on a CEO mentality. Johnson said this did not intimidate him, with Arnott noting he always made sure to have a succession plan and had trained Johnson for the role to be ready to take over.
Whoever is elected in November will serve the remainder of Arnott's term through the end of 2028.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Greene County has new sheriff for first time in 18 years
