Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. has announced he will run for a third term, pledging to build on the progress made during his nearly seven years in office.
First elected in 2018, Woods began his career with the sheriff’s office more than two decades ago as a deputy. He later served in leadership roles with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was twice appointed by the governor to the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training. He holds a Master of Business Administration, multiple advanced law enforcement certifications, and has completed leadership programs through the FBI, the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, and the Criminal Justice Institute.
Woods says his tenure has been marked by both challenges and accomplishments — from leading the county through historic flooding, severe winter storms, and the COVID-19 pandemic, to securing more than $1 million in grants for public safety initiatives. Those grants have funded crime-reduction programs, enhanced courthouse security, upgraded law enforcement technology, and supported inmate recovery services.
Under his leadership, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Foundation was created to fund specialized equipment, training, and scholarships for deputies and their families. The office also adopted detainee-tracking and teleconferencing systems to cut transport costs, improve accountability, and achieve high jail compliance ratings.
Woods reported that overall crime in Jefferson County has dropped 16.3% since he took office, with violent crime down 12.7%. Year-to-date crime reports have fallen from 635 to 579 — an 8.8% decrease compared to the same period last year.
If reelected, Woods says he will expand community outreach, increase transparency through data-driven practices, broaden mental health and substance abuse interventions, modernize the sheriff’s fleet and training programs, and push for legislation to better protect victims while holding offenders accountable.
“Public trust is the foundation of effective law enforcement,” Woods said. “I’m committed to continuing our work to keep Jefferson County safe, and I humbly ask for the support of our citizens in the upcoming election.”
