We are suffering a crisis of confidence in our local criminal justice system. The people of our county deserve to see criminals locked up as long as possible. The people of Cole County demand an end to the watered-down plea bargains that place the criminals back on the street, only to be arrested again and again.

My agenda is simple and direct: Be tough on crime, particularly violent crime and drugs. The Cole County Prosecuting Attorney's office is no place for on the job training. I have 20 years of experience having worked as a Cole County Assistant Prosecutor, Assistant Missouri Attorney General and in private practice.

I think the people in this county need someone who has lived here, worked here and knows the needs of this community -- the need for a prosecutor that has vision for the entire community as well as someone who can actively prosecute along the entire spectrum; getting habitual and vicious criminals off the street.

I've seen the devastation wrought by those who prey upon our children and our elderly, by those who assault our sisters and our mothers. I've seen the senselessness of innocent victims who've been maimed or killed by those who refuse to drink responsibly. I ask that you give me the chance to lead the fight to keep our families safe, our neighborhoods secure, and our sense of justice intact.

I am running for Prosecuting Attorney because I love the Prosecutor’s Office and what it is supposed to stand for. It has been disappointing for me, and many others in our community, to see the current Prosecuting Attorney, Mark Richardson, make bad decisions, exercise poor judgment and engage in questionable ethics — over and over again. He has tarnished the Office’s reputation and frayed the community’s trust. I promise to restore that reputation and that trust through hard work, good judgment, and fairness in dealing with all the people of Cole County.

You may contact me by email at kurt@kurtvalentine.com