Sheriff Richard Anderson was first elected as Platte County Sheriff in 1996, and began serving his first four-year term on January 1, 1997. As Sheriff, he is the chief law enforcement officer in a county with 421 square miles and a population of approximately 84,000. His office also operates a 151-bed detention facility, provides dispatching services for a total of 23 police departments, fire departments and ambulance districts and is responsible for emergency preparedness and animal control for the county. He oversees a department of 88 deputies and 42 civilians.

Sheriff Anderson is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from Grandview High School and then earned a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement from Central Missouri State College (now, University).

After obtaining his degree, Sheriff Anderson enlisted in the United States Air Force and spent four years in the security police career field. He was released from active duty in 1968 as a Captain.

After the Air Force, Sheriff Anderson became a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He remained with the Bureau for over 25 years until his retirement in 1994. During his FBI career, Sheriff Anderson served in Mobile, Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama, Newark, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania finishing his career in Kansas City, Missouri. His work included organized crime, violent crime, white-collar crime and foreign counter-intelligence cases.

Sheriff Anderson and his wife, Wanda, live on their small farm north of Weston, Missouri. He has two daughters and eight grandchildren.