The Adair County Sheriff’s Department is under new leadership with the appointment of Gary Roy as sheriff. Former Sheriff Jamie Richard retired effective Aug. 1, and Adair County Judge Executive Larry Russell Bryant appointed Roy to fulfill Richard’s term as sheriff, which ends in January 2027.
Roy may have a new title, but he is not new to law enforcement. With 25 years of experience and extensive training, he understands how important law enforcement officers are to the community.
“The focus is treating people right and fair. I will be setting up times at churches and fire departments across the county to have community meetings. I want people to tell me what is going on in their community and what their needs are,” said Roy.
Roy is tasked with covering approximately 400 square miles with a population of 20,000 citizens. With a budget that allows for eight deputies, providing 24-hour coverage is challenging but feasible. Hiring someone to replace himself as a deputy is high on his priority list.
Once the department is fully staffed, Roy plans to have a meeting and set the expectations that he has for his department. He wants to be more proactive than reactive and focus on community policing.
“I want transparency, accountability, and accessibility. I want people to realize that the sheriff is accessible, and his deputies are accessible. I want everyone, including myself, to be held accountable,” said Roy.
Roy had already decided to run for the office of sheriff in the May 2026 primary prior to his appointment.
“I am thankful for this opportunity to be the Sheriff of Adair County. I am going to carry out the duties of the office the best I can. Treat everyone fairly. If their problem is important to them, I want them to feel like their problem is important to us,” he said.
Roy said he will be accessible if anyone wants to speak to him directly.
“I want to focus on building partnerships and trust with not only the agencies but the people in the communities. We need people to trust us and tell us if something is concerning to them.”
He said that people are welcome to come to the office or if they do not want to come in person, they can call and leave a message for him. If they want to remain anonymous, they can call without giving their name.
Roy began his career at Russell Springs Police Department in 2000 and completed the academy at the Department of Criminal Justice Training the same year.
In 2003, Roy joined the Columbia City Police Department. He was promoted to sergeant in 2010. During his career at the city police department, Roy was a field training officer. In addition to his yearly in-service classes, Roy completed the sergeant’s academy, a situational leadership course, and a DEA investigators course. He retired from the department in 2019.
After a few months of retirement, Roy returned to policing as a School Resource Officer. He was working as a deputy sheriff when he was appointed sheriff.
Roy and his wife, Lee Ann, have been married for 30 years. They have three children and three grandchildren. He has been the pastor of Sonrise Church for two years.
As for Richard, he said deciding to retire was one of the most difficult decisions he’s ever had to make.
“I love the guys; we have a great group of guys. It was a tough, tough decision.” said Richard. “I think it was just my time. I had until midnight on July 31 to change my mind and I thought about it until then.”
Richard has worked since 1999 in different capacities. He began his career working at the Department of Juvenile Justice, then spent 17 years with Kentucky State Police. He was appointed Adair County Jailer in 2021 and elected the following year. He resigned as jailer after being appointed Adair County Sheriff in 2024.
Richard said he is going to continue to mow and run a skid steer for now. “I have no idea what the future holds,” he said.
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com
