Chris Laye is seeking to unseat Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane in next week's primary election.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) – Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane will face a primary challenger in next week's election.

We're just days away from a primary election in Scott County that could determine whether there will be a new sheriff next year.

Tim Lane has held the position since 2016 and is seeking re-election in November.

However, he will have to defeat Chris Laye, a retired military police officer and sheriff's deputy, to secure the nomination.

“With my experience in leadership positions in the military, I believe I can bring positive change to the Sheriff’s Office,” Laye said. “To provide our employees and the community with better service in the future.” »

Sheriff Lane is committed to retaining his seat in the next election.

“I love Scott County,” Lane said. “I'm not ready to hang it up, I'm not ready to give up on law enforcement, to retire at this point, I'm running for another term.”

Laye believes the department needs new leadership and an overhaul of current policies.

“We have supervisors, we have managers,” Laye said. “But we don't really have the number of people we need to step in and become real leaders in the organization and show employees how things should be done.”

Lane thinks otherwise, citing the success of the county's Special Operations Unit task force, which combats drug trafficking.

“Last year, 2023, the task force made 827 drug-related arrests and took 149 guns off the street,” Lane said. “And it’s something that didn’t exist before I started it, which is partially funded by federal money.”

As for the sex offender task force, which stopped holding meetings in 2022, Lane said he disagrees with the Department of Corrections.

Laye says the sheriff disbanded the group whose job it is to make sure sex offenders on the registry's list are compliant and then investigate those who aren't.

“We cannot allow personal differences and attitudes to interfere with how we interact with other agencies,” Laye said. “And I will not allow that to happen.”

Lane said Laye's claims were false and that the task force had not been disbanded.

“The agreement is still in effect,” Lane said. “The meetings, which are information meetings, are not taking place at the moment. And I'm going to resume these meetings, but I'm going to resume them on my terms.

Although the candidates disagree on how to run the department, both share the same view on the state's efforts to involve local law enforcement in deporting immigrants without papers.

“The role of the sheriff’s office is to enforce criminal law,” Laye said. “And when we have an illegal immigrant involved in criminal activity, we need to take them into custody. »

Lane agrees with this sentiment.

“We have been a very, very welcoming country,” Lane said. “But if some people meet the criteria that they should leave, then I think they should leave.”

Lane reiterated that he has lived in Scott County his entire life and that Laye is a newcomer to the area.

However, Laye reiterated that he owns a home in the county and has no plans to live anywhere else.

TV6 confirmed that Laye currently owns a home in LeClaire.

The primary elections will take place next Tuesday, June 4.

Polling stations will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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