Feldkamp Announces Candidacy for Sheriff

Corporal Darren Feldkamp, with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Effingham County Sheriff in 2014.

Feldkamp is a life-long resident of Effingham County.  He is a 1985 graduate of Altamont High School and a 1987 graduate of Lake Land College, with an Associate Degree in Applied Science in Agriculture.  He graduated from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute in 1997 for County Correctional Officers and in 2000 for Sworn Police Officers. 

Feldkamp began his career in law enforcement in 1996 as a correctional officer with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office.  In 1999, after an extensive interview process with Sheriff’s Office command staff and county school officials, Feldkamp was selected as the first School Resource Officer in Effingham County, assigned to all five public school districts as well as the parochial schools.  Feldkamp remained the only School Resource Officer until 2002 when the program was expanded.  In May of 2012, he was promoted from Deputy Sheriff to Corporal.  Feldkamp is a certified School Resource Officer with the United States Department of Justice and a certified Juvenile Officer with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.  He completed Counterdrug Crisis Negotiation training at the United States Army Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.

In 1997 Feldkamp received the Police Training Institute Scholastic Achievement Award for having the highest academic score in the graduating class.  He also received the Outstanding Correctional Officer Award from the Illinois Sheriff’s Association.  In 1999 he was a nominee for the International Association of Correctional Officers’ Correctional Officer of the Year Award.  Feldkamp received the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Outstanding Service Award in 2002.  He also received the American Legion Citation of Achievement for being a finalist for the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.  Feldkamp is a charter member of the Effingham Lions Club, a member of the Altamont Masonic Lodge #533, a Board Member of the Effingham County Youth Commission, a Board of Education Member of Altamont Unit #10 School District, and a member of the Effingham County Farm Bureau.

Feldkamp is the son of Roy and Joanne Feldkamp of Altamont.  He is married to Karen (Kautzner) and has three children, Kyle and Sydney of Altamont and Katelyn of Cullom.

If elected Sheriff, Feldkamp will have an open door policy for the employees as well as the public.  This will include fiscal transparency and accountability to the taxpayers of Effingham County.  He will hold monthly town hall meetings with the citizens each month at a different town within the county.  He feels the residents should have an opportunity to share their concerns about what is going on within their community.  He will also use these meetings as a chance to provide education on public safety issues.  Feldkamp wants to continue to develop productive relationships with other responders by meeting monthly with representatives from emergency service partner agencies within the county as well as the region.  He wants to provide quality training for employees on emerging criminal justice issues such as internet crime and fraud. 

With his 17 years of working experience within the Sheriff’s Office, Feldkamp feels he has an extensive knowledge of the daily operations of the department that makes him a strong candidate for Sheriff of Effingham County.

Feldkamp is the fourth person to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination as sheriff, joining Dave Mahon, John Gardner and Mike Schutzbach.