Alfred Montgomery

Betts — who has become known for saying just about anything — will depart at the end of the year after losing the Democratic primary to former deputy Alfred Montgomery.

Sheriff-elect Alfred Montgomery said he plans on replacing more than a dozen senior staffers with seasoned law enforcement veterans from the region on Jan. 1.

Their conflict started when Betts fired Alfred Montgomery, then a sheriff’s deputy, after he announced his first (and unsuccessful) run for the position in 2019.

St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts had officers remove a St. Louis Public Radio photojournalist attempting to photograph a land tax sale auction held in front of the Civil Courts Building earlier this week.

Sheriff Vernon Betts lost to Alfred Montgomery by a little over 200 votes.

Vernon Betts initially lost the August Democratic primary to a former deputy, Alfred Montgomery, by 256 votes. Because the margin was less than 1%, Betts was entitled to a recount under law.