Kevin Hunter was born in Toledo, Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree and a graduate degree from the Indiana Institute of Technology in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Hunter also earned a degree from the FBI National Academy in 2008. His career experience includes working as a police officer and captain with the Fort Wayne Police Department, hostage negotiation trainer for the U.S. Department of State, and certified law enforcement instructor in Indiana. Hunter has been a trainer with Safety and Health Integration on the Enforcement of Laws on Drugs (S.H.I.E.L.D.) and has served on the boards of directors of the following agencies:[1][2][3]
Northeast Indiana Positive Resource Connection
Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana
Allen County Drug and Alcohol Consortium
Mayor's Commission on Domestic Violence, Rape and Sexual Harassment
Kevin Hunter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hunter's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
My name is Kevin Hunter, and I'm running for Allen County Council At-Large. I am a devoted husband to my wife, Jennifer, a father to 7 kids with our blended family, and a committed public servant. I am a 35-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Police Department, and have worked on the opioid crisis for the last twelve years. I've learned that we can't arrest our way out of the opioid crisis, and that deflection, treatment, and recovery are the best ways to address this issue.
My first key message is that I am running on the platform that we must do the new Allen County Jail right the first time. Instead of making this just a jail, it should be a Criminal Justice Center that addresses the needs of our community, to include a mental health treatment center and a drug treatment center. Giving those who are incarcerated the proper treatment is essential to making our community a better place. This new Criminal Justice Center should also be a "One-Stop-Shop" for all of Allen County's criminal justice needs.
We must have a balanced county budget. With my 35-years of police experience, I will have the knowledge to review the law enforcement and courts budget, which is currently 76% of this year's budget. I can give a critical eye to this budget and help make recommendations based on my training and experience.
I've learned over the last 35-years that we must collaborate to get things done. We can no longer work in silos, we must collaborate to make Allen County the best place it can be! I plan on meeting with all of the County department heads and making sure I hear the needs of these departments to make sure that the citizen's of Allen County receive the services that they need. I also plan on reviewing the State and Federal Grants that the County has applied for, and will recommend that the County pursue grants that can help the citizens of Allen County.
I am definitely passionate about law enforcement and addiction issues. There are deflection and diversion programs that can be adopted by the Allen County Sheriff's Department that will lower the incarceration rate at the jail, and help the citizen's of Allen County get the help that they need. I know these deflection and diversion programs work, because I've seen them in action in Fort Wayne.
I believe the most important characteristic for an elected official to have is to be an active listener. As a former crisis negotiator, I've learned the skill of active listening and know that when we listen to others to understand, we can better serve our community. Being an active listener helps a person become a better communicator, as you are listening to understand, not just respond.
Being a former crisis negotiator, one of my best skills is in active listening. When a person actively listens to another person that they are communicating with, both parties are better off. The person talking feels heard and seen, while the person listening better understands what the other person is saying, feeling and identifies the emotions involved in the situation at hand.
My favorite book is called "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. This is a fictional book about people returning from the Vietnam War, and all of the unseen baggage that they brought back with them. It has taught me to remember that everyone has baggage that we can't see yet is very real to the person who carries it.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2022
Kevin Hunter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hunter's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Kevin Hunter has served with the Fort Wayne Police Department for the past 32 years. A Mitch Daniels Leadership Fellow, Kevin graduated from the FBI National Academy and has worked as a Hostage Negotiation trainer worldwide. Kevin serves on numerous community boards and commissions.
As a Captain in FWPD’s Vice and Narcotics Division, Kevin has seen the destructive toll of the drug crisis on individuals and their families. He is a staunch supporter of police action to eliminate illegal drugs and drug traffickers at the same time that he supports offering hope and recovery to those struggling with substance use disorder. Kevin will create the first Jail Chemical Addictions Program in the Allen County Jail when elected. This program will help inmates start a drug treatment program and get them on the road to recovery! Kevin will also form a bipartisan commission to look at the functionality of the Allen County Jail and focus on making it a better place for the community. But narcotics issues are not his only focus.
As Sheriff, Kevin will guide his office and officers in better collaboration methods, working with other police agencies, public service agencies and the community to address our biggest concerns.
-I am passionate about getting people with substance use disorder who are incarcerated into a Jail Chemical Addictions Program to help them be successful in a treatment program and get them on the road to recovery.
-I am passionate about the drug crisis and creating programs that address substance use disorder and work on getting people who need it into treatment programs. I've spoken with too many parents who have lost their child to a drug overdose. My goal as Sheriff is to stop people from dying from drug overdoses!
-I am passionate about creating a bipartisan commission to look at how the Allen County Jail functions and making sure that it is a safe, secure and healthy environment employees and inmates alike.
-I am passionate about Community Policing and making sure officers of the Allen County Sheriff's Department are connected with the community that they serve.
-I am passionate about leading with transparency and integrity. As Sheriff, I will make sure that any in-custody death, whether at the jail or involving an officer involved shooting is investigated by an outside agency to make sure there is a thorough and complete investigation.
I worked with a police commander who showed me the impact that creating positive relationships can have on policing issues. He showed me the value of creating relationships outside of the criminal justice community as there is always a need for collaboration with non-governmental organizations. I live by that motto today! For far too long police departments have worked in silos and not collaborated with other agencies to work on problems that affect our communities. The problems facing police departments now need the input of people within their community, and police should not be tasked with solving these societal problems by themselves.
A great example of collaboration between law enforcement and outside agencies is when Fort Wayne first experienced the Opioid crisis. We noticed that both non-fatal and fatal overdoses were rising in direct correlation with the rise in heroin and fentanyl seizures within Fort Wayne and Allen County. I worked with the Allen County Health Department and The Lutheran Foundation to educate the community on the dangers of this crisis. We had a team that went out and spoke with any organization that would listen to our message that substance use disorder is a brain disease, not a moral failure. We also talked about the overdose crisis and how easily obtainable these deadly drugs were in our community. Because of this collaboration we met with many different organizations and created a mobile response team that focused on helping people who had overdosed and connecting them to treatment services. This program has police detectives follow-up on a non-fatal overdose incident with a person and connects them to peer recovery coaches who walk along side the person and offer whatever treatment services that person is interested in. This program does not force people into treatment, but offers them hope with many options for their recovery from substance use disorder.
I have seen the power of collaboration firmly believe in it!
My philosophy on life in general is all about helping others. When I first was interviewed while applying for the Fort Wayne Police Department, I was asked why I wanted to be a police officer. I told the interview panel that I believed that being a police officer was the ultimate customer service job. Not only am I serving the citizens of Fort Wayne, but also the Fort Wayne Police Department. I feel even stronger about this being the elected sheriff of this community. Being elected by the people of Allen County I will represent them and will work for them every day. They are my customers and I will listen to them every day. I will always work to make them proud of me and the department's accomplishments.
The legacy I want to leave for the Allen County Sheriff's Department is to focus on solving the problems at the Allen County Jail. I plan on doing this by creating the first Jail Chemical Addictions Program that will help inmates get connected to drug treatment and recovery. By getting inmates connected to treatment, those people will stop using drugs and stop cycling in and out of the criminal justice system, making them productive members of society. By reimagining how we look at the jail, I hope to leave a legacy of helping people get connected to treatment and recovery and turning their lives around.
My first full time job was working at a grocery store. I worked that job for eight years until I was hired by the Fort Wayne Police Department. I worked as a stock clerk and frozen food manager. I loved interacting with the public, but knew that I always wanted to be a police officer since I was a little boy. I realized my dream of becoming a Fort Wayne Police Officer in May of 1989 and have enjoyed every minute of it since.
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. This book is about the Vietnam War and explores each of the characters experiences they had during the war. This book taught me that everyone has baggage that they carry, it's not always visible to others around us. This book has helped me ask the question of people that I meet as a police officer, "Tell me your story..." I've heard some of the worst things imaginable! By asking someone about their story, I can better understand where they come from, what they've experienced and can better understand why or how they have gotten to the place in their lives when I meet them.
One of the main jobs of a county sheriff is to oversee the operation of the jail. I've spoken with numerous sheriff's around the state of Indiana, and they all have told me that 80% of their issues come from managing the jail. When I am elected I create a Jail Chemical Addictions Program within the Allen County Jail to help people incarcerated get connected to treatment and recovery so that they are not cycling in and out of the criminal justice system. The Jail Chemical Addictions Program has been used in other counties in Indiana, and has shown a great success rate. Kosciusko County's JCAP program has shown a success rate of 57%. The Allen County Jail is also in the middle of a federal lawsuit that alleges overcrowding and inhumane conditions. I will form a bipartisan commission to look at the functionality of the jail and make sure that these issues of overcrowding and inhumane conditions are properly addressed and corrected.
I believe it is very important for the person holding the office of sheriff to have had previous experience in government to know how the criminal justice system works. I have had 32 years of experience as a police officer with the Fort Wayne Police Department, have worked with many different criminal justice and law enforcement agencies and know that it is important to collaborate with others to get things done. Having 32 years of experience in law enforcement I know the key people in the criminal justice system and have worked to make sure I have a good relationship with them. On my first day in office I will know who I need to meet with and work with to help me be the most competent sheriff Allen County has ever had.
I believe that being a great listener would be a skill needed for the office of Sheriff. Having been a crisis negotiator for many years has helped me become a great active listener! Listening to the community that a sheriff serves, making sure that all citizens can have a voice is really important. Everyone wants their story or complaint to be heard, using active listening skills to listen with the intent to hear, not respond is very important.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Note: Hunter submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on April 24, 2022.
Kevin Hunter has served with the Fort Wayne Police Department for the past 32 years. A Mitch Daniels Leadership Fellow, Kevin graduated from the FBI National Academy and has worked as a Hostage Negotiation trainer worldwide. Kevin serves on numerous community boards and commissions.
As a Captain in FWPD’s Vice and Narcotics Division, Kevin has seen the destructive toll of the drug crisis on individuals and their families. He is a staunch supporter of police action to eliminate illegal drugs and drug traffickers at the same time that he supports offering hope and recovery to those struggling with substance use disorder. Kevin will create the first Jail Chemical Addictions Program in the Allen County Jail when elected. This program will help inmates start a drug treatment program and get them on the road to recovery! Kevin will also form a bipartisan commission to look at the functionality of the Allen County Jail and focus on making it a better place for the community. But narcotics issues are not his only focus.
As Sheriff, Kevin will guide his office and officers in better collaboration methods, working with other police agencies, public service agencies and the community to address our biggest concerns.
-I am passionate about getting people with substance use disorder who are incarcerated into a Jail Chemical Addictions Program to help them be successful in a treatment program and get them on the road to recovery.
-I am passionate about the drug crisis and creating programs that address substance use disorder and work on getting people who need it into treatment programs. I've spoken with too many parents who have lost their child to a drug overdose. My goal as Sheriff is to stop people from dying from drug overdoses!
-I am passionate about creating a bipartisan commission to look at how the Allen County Jail functions and making sure that it is a safe, secure and healthy environment employees and inmates alike.
-I am passionate about Community Policing and making sure officers of the Allen County Sheriff's Department are connected with the community that they serve.
-I am passionate about leading with transparency and integrity. As Sheriff, I will make sure that any in-custody death, whether at the jail or involving an officer involved shooting is investigated by an outside agency to make sure there is a thorough and complete investigation.
I worked with a police commander who showed me the impact that creating positive relationships can have on policing issues. He showed me the value of creating relationships outside of the criminal justice community as there is always a need for collaboration with non-governmental organizations. I live by that motto today! For far too long police departments have worked in silos and not collaborated with other agencies to work on problems that affect our communities. The problems facing police departments now need the input of people within their community, and police should not be tasked with solving these societal problems by themselves.
A great example of collaboration between law enforcement and outside agencies is when Fort Wayne first experienced the Opioid crisis. We noticed that both non-fatal and fatal overdoses were rising in direct correlation with the rise in heroin and fentanyl seizures within Fort Wayne and Allen County. I worked with the Allen County Health Department and The Lutheran Foundation to educate the community on the dangers of this crisis. We had a team that went out and spoke with any organization that would listen to our message that substance use disorder is a brain disease, not a moral failure. We also talked about the overdose crisis and how easily obtainable these deadly drugs were in our community. Because of this collaboration we met with many different organizations and created a mobile response team that focused on helping people who had overdosed and connecting them to treatment services. This program has police detectives follow-up on a non-fatal overdose incident with a person and connects them to peer recovery coaches who walk along side the person and offer whatever treatment services that person is interested in. This program does not force people into treatment, but offers them hope with many options for their recovery from substance use disorder.
I have seen the power of collaboration firmly believe in it!
My philosophy on life in general is all about helping others. When I first was interviewed while applying for the Fort Wayne Police Department, I was asked why I wanted to be a police officer. I told the interview panel that I believed that being a police officer was the ultimate customer service job. Not only am I serving the citizens of Fort Wayne, but also the Fort Wayne Police Department. I feel even stronger about this being the elected sheriff of this community. Being elected by the people of Allen County I will represent them and will work for them every day. They are my customers and I will listen to them every day. I will always work to make them proud of me and the department's accomplishments.
The legacy I want to leave for the Allen County Sheriff's Department is to focus on solving the problems at the Allen County Jail. I plan on doing this by creating the first Jail Chemical Addictions Program that will help inmates get connected to drug treatment and recovery. By getting inmates connected to treatment, those people will stop using drugs and stop cycling in and out of the criminal justice system, making them productive members of society. By reimagining how we look at the jail, I hope to leave a legacy of helping people get connected to treatment and recovery and turning their lives around.
My first full time job was working at a grocery store. I worked that job for eight years until I was hired by the Fort Wayne Police Department. I worked as a stock clerk and frozen food manager. I loved interacting with the public, but knew that I always wanted to be a police officer since I was a little boy. I realized my dream of becoming a Fort Wayne Police Officer in May of 1989 and have enjoyed every minute of it since.
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. This book is about the Vietnam War and explores each of the characters experiences they had during the war. This book taught me that everyone has baggage that they carry, it's not always visible to others around us. This book has helped me ask the question of people that I meet as a police officer, "Tell me your story..." I've heard some of the worst things imaginable! By asking someone about their story, I can better understand where they come from, what they've experienced and can better understand why or how they have gotten to the place in their lives when I meet them.
One of the main jobs of a county sheriff is to oversee the operation of the jail. I've spoken with numerous sheriff's around the state of Indiana, and they all have told me that 80% of their issues come from managing the jail. When I am elected I create a Jail Chemical Addictions Program within the Allen County Jail to help people incarcerated get connected to treatment and recovery so that they are not cycling in and out of the criminal justice system. The Jail Chemical Addictions Program has been used in other counties in Indiana, and has shown a great success rate. Kosciusko County's JCAP program has shown a success rate of 57%. The Allen County Jail is also in the middle of a federal lawsuit that alleges overcrowding and inhumane conditions. I will form a bipartisan commission to look at the functionality of the jail and make sure that these issues of overcrowding and inhumane conditions are properly addressed and corrected.
I believe it is very important for the person holding the office of sheriff to have had previous experience in government to know how the criminal justice system works. I have had 32 years of experience as a police officer with the Fort Wayne Police Department, have worked with many different criminal justice and law enforcement agencies and know that it is important to collaborate with others to get things done. Having 32 years of experience in law enforcement I know the key people in the criminal justice system and have worked to make sure I have a good relationship with them. On my first day in office I will know who I need to meet with and work with to help me be the most competent sheriff Allen County has ever had.
I believe that being a great listener would be a skill needed for the office of Sheriff. Having been a crisis negotiator for many years has helped me become a great active listener! Listening to the community that a sheriff serves, making sure that all citizens can have a voice is really important. Everyone wants their story or complaint to be heard, using active listening skills to listen with the intent to hear, not respond is very important.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Note: Hunter submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on April 4, 2022.
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