New Sheriff On The Job In LeFlore County

Wednesday was the first day on the job for LeFlore County Sheriff Rob Seale.  Following a swearing in ceremony at the county courthouse in Poteau, Seale said it was a busy day.

"Getting uniforms to my deputies coming on board, getting vehicles taken care of. It's been a busy morning," said Rob Seale.

Seal defeated incumbent Sheriff Bruce Curnutt in November.

"We got the third largest county in the state," Seale said. "We've got 1,680 square miles to cover and I've got ten deputies to do it with."

Both Seale, and his new undersheriff, Kendall Morgan, say their biggest problem is tackling the county's unsolved murder rate. "It's a major problem," Sheriff Seale said. "We need to attack it."

Another priority is reducing drug trafficking in LeFlore County.

"We're going to be working pretty close with the Drug Task Force here at the district attorney's office, and with (The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics)," Seale said. "We'll be working as hard as we can to try and combat it."

But Sheriff Seale said his biggest concern is property crimes.

"The burglaries and larcenies are the biggest issue we have," Rob Seale said, explaining that these crimes have increased steadily over the last few years.

Seale said in order to achieve what all he wants to accomplish his office will be working to strengthen relationships with other area law enforcement agencies.

Sheriff Rob Seale served as a police officer in Poteau for 21 years before retiring.  The undersheriff, Kendall Morgan is the former police chief of Shady Point.

KFSM TV in Fort Smith assisted with this story.