ST. LOUIS — A new St. Louis sheriff is taking over in 2025.
St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts was defeated by Alfred Montgomery in the August Democratic primary. Betts has been the Sheriff since 2017.
Betts filed for a recount after narrowly losing, but final results showed Montgomery as the winner.
Montgomery told 5 On Your Side he's excited for the job. With less than 50 days to go, Montgomery planned for a peaceful transition.
According to the city's website, the Sheriff's Office is responsible for the safety and security of 31 divisional courtrooms of the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court and the transportation of prisoners between the courts and detention facilities. The sheriff also has the duty of serving court papers, eviction notices and issuing concealed carry permits.
"We're ready to do whatever we have to do to move our Sheriff's Office forward to make sure the 22nd Circuit is safe and to make sure that everything is operating smoothly," Montgomery shared.
Montgomery said he reached out to Sheriff Vernon Betts right after the primary election.
"I want to have that conversation with him. I wanted to say, 'Hey, what can you do to help me transition to office?'" Montgomery added. "He told me to wait until after the November election, he'll wave the white flag. I said, 'Fine, let's sit down, let's have lunch.' He agreed on that."
Since then, Montgomery claims Betts' behavior has been up and down and he's reached out several times. He also claims Betts denied a potential meet up and he was met with harsh phone calls involving vulgar language.
"I don't get that opportunity. That opportunity, it's not there," Montgomery shared.
Montgomery said there has been no transition of power. He was able to work with the court administers for a walk through.
Saint Louis University Law Professor Anders Walker said there is no requirement for the sheriff to organize a transition.
"Often people don't want to leave their positions and they might get upset, but I think there is still responsibility for the people of St. Louis for it to go smoothly," Walker added.
Montgomery told 5 On Your Side that with new administrators joining, he wants to make sure they are trained and they have all the proper documentation and accounts to look over.
Montgomery plans to do a pay raise for deputies and he wants to have the paperwork in advance.
On Monday, Montgomery's attorney filed a public records request with Betts' office to attain financial records and employee names.
Montgomery claims some deputies reached out with concerns Monday morning.
"Several deputies contacted me just this morning and they're afraid that they're going to be terminated. The Sheriff came to them this morning, he had a mass roll call. He stated that if anyone attended the incoming sheriff watch party, you may not have a job tomorrow," Montgomery claimed.
5 On Your Side attempted several times throughout the day to contact Betts, who returned a call after 5 p.m. Betts did not provide initial comment on the accusations, but agreed to give an interview on Tuesday, saying he wanted to share his side of the story and "the truth."
Montgomery said he'd be happy to hire or re-hire deputies, since the department is already short-staffed.
"I'm willing and able to build things from the ground up and if that's what we have to do, it's going to take time. We expect bumps in the road and hiccups," Montgomery noted.
Montgomery takes over the job on Jan. 1.