Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell resigns: 'I just don't have much gas left in the tank'

Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell has resigned from the office, effective at 11 a.m. Friday, citing the strain the office has placed on him and his family.

He announced the move in a public letter addressed to residents of Peoria County that was sent out on Friday morning.

Undersheriff Christopher Watkins will assume all duties of the office until the Peoria County Board appoints a replacement. Watkins won the Republican primary for office on June 28 and is running unopposed in the November general election.

"It has been an honor to serve the men and women of the Peoria County Sheriff's office and the citizens of Peoria County. I will forever cherish the accomplishments made and relationships built during this time," Asbell wrote in the letter. "However, the last couple of years have taken a toll on both me and my family and I just don't have 'much gas left in the tank.' "

Asbell cited the need for "[m]ajor operational and budgetary decisions" that will need to be made by the Sheriff's office in the coming months that will affect the county for years to come. These responsibilities, he wrote, are better left to his successor.

Asbell warned that law enforcement and corrections "will continue to face adversity and complex staffing issues."

More: Why City Council is at odds on how to 'cure violence' in Peoria

Earlier this summer, he publicly lamented the challenges posed by nearly two dozen staff vacancies at the Peoria County Jail and called for the County Board to create a task force that could address the problem.

Asbell, a 24-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, has served as Peoria County Sheriff since 2017 when he was appointed to the role. He was later elected to the position in 2018.

"I will be the first to say there are things I could have done better, but please know I gave you all I had, and did the best I could do trying to navigate the unprecedented hardships of the past several years," Asbell wrote. "[I]t is now time to concentrate on the job of husband and father, which unfortunately has become a secondary role while serving in this profession."

Who is leading the department now?

Christopher Watkins, who has been with the Sheriff's Office for 18 years, has served a variety of roles in that time, including work at the jail, on the special response team, at the courthouse, on patrol and on the administrative staff.

During his primary campaign, Watkins emphasized the importance of employee recruitment and retention in corrections and elsewhere and said he would make filing vacancies a high priority of his time in office.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell resigns; Chris Watkins steps up