Sheriff Mearl Justus began his law enforcement career in 1953 in the Village of Cahokia, Illinois. Sheriff Justus served 29 years with the Cahokia Police with 20 years of that service as the Chief of Police. Chief Justus built the Cahokia Police Department into one of the most respected departments in the area. Premium pay and benefits, along with the "take home" patrol car program made the Cahokia Police Department one of the highly sought after law enforcement agencies in the State of Illinois for the new members of the profession.
After having accomplished his goal as Chief of the Cahokia Police Department, Chief Justus sought and was elected as Sheriff of St. Clair County in November 1982. Sheriff Justus' tough approach to crime fighting, innovative thinking, and pleasant sense of humor has seen him re-elected seven times.
Sheriff Justus is most known as a witty and humorous dinner speaker. He has spoken throughout the United States at banquets, seminars, and training centers to both Law Enforcement and Citizen groups.
Sheriff Justus was recently recognized in several publications, most prominently Time Magazine, for his innovative approach to funding specialized units within the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department by placing advertisements in available areas on patrol cars. Companies that were awarded the fee based space were required to meet strict guidelines and, in addition to the fee, they bore the cost of lettering the patrol vehicles. Sheriff's Department Units that received benefit of the additional non-taxpayer funds included the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), G.R.E.A.T.(Gang Resistance Education and Training), and the Drug Tactical Unit
When Sheriff Justus was first elected to office, he decided to put "common sense" back into law enforcement and correctional services. County Jail prisoners began to garden within the Jail compound. Their labors provided fruit and vegetables to reduce the cost of inmate's meals. The program became so successful that some of the overabundance of food is donated yearly to the less fortunate within St. Clair County.
Sheriff Justus currently holds two Associate of Applied Science Degrees in the Administration of Justice and Security Administration, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the Administration of Criminal Justice, and a Master of Arts Degree in Administration of Justice. Sheriff Justus is a past President of the Illinois Association of Chief's of Police, past President of the Illinois Sheriff's Association, Chairman of the Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad and member of the Illinois Law Enforcement Officers Training Board among many other noteable positions. Sheriff Justus is a published author and College Instructor in Law Enforcement. He has attended the FBI National Academy, St. Louis Police Academy, Police Training Institute, and the National Sheriff's Institute in Quantico, Virginia.
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