The Experience Behind the Badge

Darren has made a lifelong career in law enforcement. Through continuous training, development, and adherence to strict ethical standards, he serves the community of Sumner County with pride.

Darren went to work for the Mulvane Police Department in 1983 and attended the Kansas Law Enforcement Academy in January the following year.  Darren served as a Sumner County Sheriff’s Deputy from 1985 to 1990 while working on an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Cowley County Community College. Darren pledged to his friends and family that he would come back to serve in the Sumner County Sheriff’s office in the future, and he’s still making good on that pledge today.

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Darren was employed by the Wichita Police Department for 21 years, from 1990 to 2011. Darren gained invaluable experience while serving with WPD. He worked in the Exploited and Missing Children’s Unit, investigating crimes against children, before being promoted to the rank of Sergeant in April 1997.  Starting in 1997, Darren served as Supervisor of a Special Community Action Team, targeting street level gangs and narcotics. In 2008, he was appointed to command the Mounted Unit. The following year, Darren received certification to be a Mounted Police Trainer by the U.S. Border Patrol and began training mounted police officers.  For seven years he served as a Domestic Violence instructor at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson. In 2007, Darren became a member of the Advisory Board for 911 Emergency Services in Sumner County.

As a Sergeant with the Wichita Police Department, Darren supervised over 30 officers on a daily basis.  His duties included overseeing crime scenes, scheduling media releases and annual performance appraisals to internal investigations on officer complaints. Darren retired from the WPD in 2010 after 21 years of service.

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The Path Back to Serving in Sumner County 

In 2011, Darren fulfilled his pledge to serve Sumner County again and decided to run for Sheriff in the 2012 election. However, the then current Sheriff resigned in the summer of 2011 and Darren was elected by the Sumner County Republican Party to fulfill the unexpired term. Darren was appointed by Governor Sam Brownback and sworn in as Sumner County Sheriff on August 17th, 2011.

The Sheriff’s Office had seen years of disinvestment under previous leadership. Darren immediately sought ways to improve staff morale, alleviate systemic inefficiencies, improve public relations and reinvest in necessary equipment and training.

Commitment to Service

In 2012, Darren became the first Sheriff of Sumner County to graduate from the National Sheriff's Institute. This program was created to help first term Sheriffs become effective leaders. Graduates gain valuable knowledge regarding public and private partnerships, media training, ethics training, and administrative oversight.

In 2020, Darren was invited to attend the FBI National Command Course. He was one of 35 law enforcement officers to attend. This training was created by the FBI to address the lack of training that some smaller jurisdictions face. Through this program, Darren has gained a fresh perspective on law enforcement strategies and techniques that have brought about significant and lasting improvements to the safety and well-being of Sumner County residents. By incorporating these innovations into the work of the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, he has made a meaningful impact on crime prevention, community engagement, and overall public trust in law enforcement. Darren's commitment to teaching and applying these newfound skills and knowledge underscores his dedication to serving and protecting the community effectively and efficiently.

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Darren at Home

Darren is happy serving his friends and neighbors of Sumner County. Darren is a registered Republican and lifelong Kansan.  He lives in Peck with his wife, Jennifer, and two dogs, Lily and Lucy. Together, they have four children. Michael, Mallory, Tayler, and Tyler.  Darren’s oldest son, Michael, is a veteran of the United States Air Force and Tyler owns and operates Wild Wolf Digital Marketing. Mallory is a Community Manager for Wild Wolf Digital Marketing. Tayler works in retail in Wichita. His wife, Jennifer, is a small business owner with salons operating in Wichita & Derby.