Grady County commissioners voted unanimously Monday to name Undersheriff Larry Crabb as acting sheriff, including all sheriff’s privileges, benefits and pay effective Oct. 6.

Commissioners officially accepted former Sheriff Kieran McMullen at their regular weekly Monday. McMullen was forced to step down last week because of a deal in which pleaded guilty for deriliction of duty in connection with the 2006 illegal gambling raid at the Chickasha Elks Lodge.

Also at Monday’s meeting, commissioners presented McMullen with a plaque from all the Grady County elected officials in appreciation of his years of service to the county. McMullen was first appointed to the position in 2003 and was re-elected in 2004. He failed in a July 29 primary to get re-elected.

Because of the election next month , the board discussed whether Crabb would hold the position of sheriff until immediately after the Nov. 4 vote when the newly-elected sheriff could step in or until the first of the year.

“There’s no telling what’s going to happen in the next month,” said District No. 2 Commissioner Mike Lennier.

“After the election, I’ll be willing to step down and let them have it,” said Crabb.

Democrat Austin Green faces Republican Art Kell in the general election for Sheriff.

The sheriff’s department is preparing for long-awaited construction to begin on the fourth floor of the Grady County Jail.

“The floors are marked where the walls will go and hopefully construction will start this week,” said Jail Administrator Shane Wyatt. “The projected completion date is April 1, 2009, but, you know how construction works - it will great if it’s done by then.”

According to Wyatt, the north parking lot of the sheriff’s department will be temporarily fenced off to be used as a staging area for construction crews.

In addition, a portion of the building’s north wall will be removed so that material and equipment that is too large to go in the elevator may be hoisted up to the fourth floor through the opening.