Two Promotions in County Sheriff's Department

The Effingham County Sheriff's Department has announced the recent promotion of Deputy Robert Rich and Deputy Travis Buhnerkempe to the position of Patrol Corporal.

In the new position, Corporals Rich and Buhnerkempe will act as shift supervisors in the Patrol Section and be assigned to opposite shifts. They will assist the Patrol Sergeant with quality checking reports and coordinating the activities of their assigned squad.

Rich has been employed at the Sheriff's Department since October 1988 when he was hired as a part-time Correctional Officer. He was promoted to Deputy in March 1999 and has been the canine handler for the Sheriff's Department since 2001. He has also held the position of full-time Correctional Officer and Process Server.

Corporal Rich is a 1991 graduate of Lake Land College with an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice and a 1995 graduate of the University of Illinois Police Training Institute's Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Rob and his family reside in rural Effingham County.

Buhnerkempe has been employed at the Sheriff's Department since January 2006, when he was hired as a Patrol Deputy. He has been assigned to the Criminal Patrol Unit, Color Guard Unit and is a former police canine handler. Buhnerkempe is also a certified Drug Recognition Expert, Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor and a Field Training Officer.

Corporal Buhnerkempe is a 2004 graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice and a 2006 graduate of the University of Illinois Police Training Institute's Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Travis and his family reside in rural Effingham County.