Paula Crouch to Make History as First Female Sheriff in Sangamon County, Illinois; Former Chief Constable Retires After Sonia Massey Shooting

SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Sangamon County, Illinois, welcomes a new sheriff who promises to put the needs of the community first.

It comes after former Sheriff Jack Campbell retired last month in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Sonia Massey.

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Campbell announced his retirement after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called on him to resign over his handling of the incident.

According to WICS, Sheriff Paula Crouch also makes history as the first woman to hold the position.

“I want to work to protect citizens by working with different communities,” Crouch said. “The organizations that I think we can work with will definitely offer to improve the different services that come out of the sheriff’s office.”

If the nomination is approved, Crouch will take over as sheriff just 18 days after Campbell officially retires.

Campbell retired amid criticism for hiring Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson, who was held responsible for Massey’s death.

“I haven’t been to the sheriff’s office yet to really get a good feel for the policies, the procedures, you know, what’s going on, what’s happening, to know what changes are needed. Obviously, there’s room for improvement and we can always improve,” Crouch said.

SEE ALSO: New footage shows Sonya Massey with police hours before shooting at home outside Springfield, Illinois

She said she looks forward to taking over as sheriff to learn what changes need to be made for the department to grow.

“Based on the things we’ve seen here recently, there are probably a number of things we can improve on,” Crouch said. “But just to better understand what the needs of the community are and how we can better meet those needs.”

Crouch hopes her new role will encourage other women and minorities to apply for leadership positions.

“I think my resume will encourage people to believe that I am a good choice for sheriff and that I have the law enforcement experience to get the sheriff’s department to where it needs to be,” Crouch said.

According to prosecutors, Massey called 911 on July 6 to report that a suspected “burglar” had shown up at her home.

Authorities said that after two sheriff’s deputies went to the home outside Springfield, one of them — then-Deputy Grayson — shot her after an argument over a pot of hot water.

Grayson was fired from the department and indicted by a grand jury for murder.

He pleaded not guilty and was denied parole.