Law Enforcement Committee - Regular Meeting

Okay, it's July 3rd, 2025. We'll call the law enforcement meeting committee meeting to order. It's 4:30. Everybody have a copy of the agenda. Okay, we are open for business. We've already taken role. Everybody sign the signing sheet. I wrote y'all's name on there. So, I need a motion to approve the agenda. I'll make that motion. I'll second. Everybody in favor say I I Any public comments? Think we have anybody from the public here? We do have a special guest here today, Benton Brown. Has everybody had a chance to look over the minutes from our last meeting? If so, I need a motion for approval. I'll make the motion. I'll second. Everybody in favor say I. I. I. Okay. Motion carries. I don't think we have any unfinished business that I know of. You all have any unfinished business? No, I don't. We'll move on to the new business, the sheriff's report. All right. Thank you. Um well, happy holiday to you tomorrow and this weekend. Um want to say on behalf of all the employees at the sheriff's department, to you commissioners, thank you for the diligent work that y'all did during the budget process. I know it was some very tough decisions for y'all to make and um I met with all the postcertified at 7 o'clock this morning and uh we went over several

things and a lot of lot of happy faces and um that that was um a monumental thing that y'all did and um I promise the mayor just as I will promise to y'all that we will strive drive and work very hard um even harder than where we're at to uh be a good steward and the concessions that had to be made to compensate those deputies I know was not easy but we will diligently try to um make that up somewhere and um we've been looking at other possible things that we can do uh that might generate some things to to help the general fund down the road and maybe some things out of the jail that will compromise with inmates, but yet help pay for some stuff. Um, wanted to report to you. Um, this is more of a capital outlay, but it under my purview, but our motorpool building down behind the justice center. Uh, if you get a chance to drive by, it's it's beautiful. Um they um um the Holmes family just got done two weeks ago finishing up the paint job on the building. Um that building was built in ' 82 and um it has never had a coat of paint put on it. Wow. And it was all gone down to the metal, but it's it's turned out really well. Um and it's just it's just given new life to the building. Last year we redone the roof on it and I'm hoping this year I can finagle around and with with our in inmates and whatnot, but I may work on the bathrooms and just stuff

like that updating it. But we we use that building every day and um very much appreciated on that. Um, of course we're going into the new budget and um, we got a few kitchen things that we're going to do. We had to buy a new mixer at the jail. We've been using a makeshift situation to So, this commercial kitchen stuff's not cheap, but think we've got that worked out. But, uh, pretty pensive item that we need to get in there. But, um, working on that. Uh, down to the sad business. And I'll just go ahead and, y'all know me. I'll just get right to it. Um, last week, uh, TCI, Tennessee Corrections Institute showed up and we, uh, had a population of 401 and we did not get that little certificate that goes on the wall. And I think they said they'd be back in 60 or 90 days. It's not looking very promising um that we'll get reertified. We were perfect in every aspect other than our population. Um we records, logs, drills, cleanliness, kitchen, they um was just overwhelmed. that's, you know, bragged on our jail. Problem is is we we're over we're over capacity. Um not that anybody's hurting or anything like that, but um today we're down to 398, but um the problem is is I' I've got

I've got 70 um state sentenced inmates. That's that's a lot. Are they waiting on just just waiting on state Tennessee? Um, so we're every everybody thinks that we call and say we're bringing it and it it doesn't work that way. They they call you and say we're coming to get such and such. And most of the ones that they come get are sentenced over to six years. If you're six years and less, you end up staying in county jail. Or if you're a split confinement, which we don't have as many split confinements anymore, but I just I got to let you know that's where we're at. Um, we've worked really hard. Um, jail administrator, Lieutenant Warren, her staff have have worked and worked for my time as sheriff and we've we've had good numbers. But um it's caught up with us. So you know they may um you know Tammy's working diligently to get inmates out shuffled around. Last year we were over on women and u I told the state what was going to happen. They was going to come back in 30 days. I said well them 15 women won't be here that day. They went down to Moore County. So I mean it's pretty known. I mean, they crucify me or whatever, but um I I told the main director what was going to do and he just laughed. They after they did the count, they'd come back and I booked them back in. That's you know, we went on a tour for a day. I can't do that with this many. Um so how many what's your top total? Well, the day

they came supposed to be 400, but Mr. Miller way way we have to classify. So if you'll look at if you'll look at this uh this sheet here with this graph on it that's got the sales on it. So let's go to let's go to the third line where it says AB. There's 66 there and those are medium security men. And then you go down to the bottom to BB and BC where it says 61 and 62. And to the left it, you know, it all those pods are 50 beds. So that shows you where we're over and then shows you where we're under. The the AA AA is actually our work crew. So we're at 41 in there. AB is is medium security um men. We're at 66. And then you go to AC, that is women. So I've got AC and AD with females in it that are split up. And that's what got us in trouble last time. I can combine them and we're still going to be over. And and we have a lot more peace and quiet if we keep the women happy. The men are making it, which the women were making it fine, too. But last time we were 15 over. But it is what it is. Um you go to you go to BA. Now that's over in that B section is is the maximum and and super maximum security inmates and most of those are already sentenced. Most of those are sentenced but they are they can't mix and mingle with the aside. We have to be very careful with that. So that that that puts us in a in a bind. I just want to give you a little education on that. Um and and we try to keep those numbers

down. And uh you know, we we've dealt with this for many many years. Uh we've just kind of been spoiled here in the last six or seven uh on our population, but um it it's it's growing and it's going to continue to grow. Now, if if we have something miraculous happen and Miss Tammy gets 20 of these folks moved out of there, we'll be fine. But we don't, you know, they're going to pop in 60 to 90 days. We don't know. So if they do that, we we will have failed the jail inspection. Not for a jerconian institution like some people classify it, but because strictly overpopulation, they will probably put it us under a plan of action. It's nothing to be scared about. Um, you know, it just says, "Hey, y'all need to make what what are you going to do to mitigate this?" And what we're going to do to mitigate it in in my theory is just keep pushing to get these state inmates out and we'll get back to normal. Uh because I'm not coming at you to add on to the jail and all that stuff. Ask that question. No. If we do anything um Mr. Brown. We'll we'll look at down the road um about adding uh work moving doing a a workhouse out beside there in that grassy area on the other side of the Sally Port because you can you can go out there and take those work crews and put them out there. Super super minimum security and weekenders can be housed out there and you can build that a whole lot cheaper than you can two other 200 more pod beds. But because that's a whole other pod that's that right and the back of the back corner of that jail is already laid out for that. But that's you're talking millions and millions whereas a workhouse is a few million. Um but we're not to that. I just I have to let y'all know and it has to go on the record where we're at. I'm not panicking. Um

y'all know when I go into panic mode. What's your daily average on inmates? Uh right now it's in the high 300s. 390. Yeah. So, we had been in the U 350 to 360 mode, but they they go through a wave in court and here they come. And then on the weekend, you you go up. But week like weekenders, I can I can put them down there in the other sales with the work crew and stuff. So, um, but it's it's it's it's these serious felons that are messing us up. And like I said, if we could keep the buses going, at one time I got it down to 20 state inmates. In times past, we were over when I took office, we were housing 90 to to 100, they they were taking up a fourth of the jail. And I worked on that and worked on that. Well, now everybody's working on that. I think at one time when I was in the jail, most of the aside or correction, BA and BC were all state inmates waiting on waiting on a bed. So it's 100. So you have to keep those 70 till they decide they want them. You don't have to. Yeah. Or if I find another jail that has that wants them and and some some of them do, but we're we're working on that. Um we um I I'll give you an example. Shelby County is our largest county, right? Has 2600 beds. All right. There's 20 They got 20. It's super full. 2600 inmates. They've gotund 130 state inmates. Wow. I've got 400 beds with 70 state inmates. So it it's kind of weird. Uh, but they're really close to several state facilities out west Tennessee. Um, but

we uh that's just where we're at and that's that's the important thing that y'all need to know. So, if TCI shows up here and addresses y'all or addresses the U County Commission, they may want to reactivate the um jail committee, you know, like they did years before. We're not to that. I mean, we we're going to diligently push to farm them out and get get back down. I really like it when they're in the 370 to 360 markets. It makes everything manageable. But as you get overcrowding, then tempers flare, assaults happen, you know, makes this cost go up and that kind of thing. But that we're we're growing and yeah. So, um that that's where we're at with that. Um I was trying to think what else. Um I will go on and tell you this. We're uh we're looking at purchasing two two motorcycles for traffic duty. Uh we're pricing those out. I've just had a tremendous amount of complaints and calls, messages, face-toface contact with people about county road speeds. And I'm I'm just I think I've I've gave folks a lot of notice. Uh we're one of the few counties in the state that don't do quote unquote radar traffic. Will that be their primary job as as as needed? I mean, and and you know, I'm going to look at two. We're going to ease into it, but they will work these county roads. Good. I'm getting a lot of complaints um like 16th Model Fonia, Maple Springs, Ragto, Perry Plains. I get a lot of complaints in my district. Yeah. And uh we're,

you know, and and you know, trying to work with the highway patrol. Um, you know, we're answering probably 10,000 calls a year to the interstate. It's killing us. And um, so I can buy two motorcycles cheaper and I buy one patrol car. Plus, trying to work radar in the on the county roads with a car is hard to do because, you know, it's different out on a fourlane. you got plenty of turnaround time, but on the county roads, it's it's kind of difficult on moving radar, but the motorcycles are designed to, you know, they they can turn around on a dime and and do it. Um I I don't I just I don't want to be a traffic cop. I I just deputies are, you know, we we're just never been designed or cut out to be ticket riders. But where we're at in the county with people, the hurry up and go society and and in a lot of it is people traveling through our county going to the base to Nissan to Bridgestone, cutting from through from the other counties like as like Asbury Road in Ragto Road coming from out of Grandy County trying to get to the base or I mean it it's I'm just getting a lot of calls and and and it's it's crazy speeds like in the 80s. Mhm. And yeah, it's and it's dangerous. We're getting a lot more commercial truck traffic on our county roads because of ways and um Google Maps and this and that. You know, I24 stays at a quagmire seems like from the 105 to Murphy'sboro, both directions every day. So you're you're getting a lot of electronic devices that are taking people different routes and u we're going to have to react on it or we're going to start having an uptick in

fatalities. But I I just you know I know it won't go over very well. Um but we're in the we we're in the process of bidding this out and I've got some guys that are very capable of handling that. They they'll have radar. Yes, they will. Yeah. I I think the public will be happy. Um they'll be they'll have radar plus they can help us with the 1014s. We're going to continue, you know, a lot of cities have started backing out of doing the funerals. As long as I'm sheriff, we're going to continue to provide that service. It's one of the few things that we can give back to our citizens and their loved ones is paying that time of respect. Benton and his crew at Manchester do a phenomenal job and I get more compliments about that up and over my our uniforms. But um yeah, we want to continue providing that service as long as we're able to and this will help with that. Um they're not going to be full-time, of course, but as we ease into it and our department grows, then I may be able to create a twoman full-time traffic division that can help with wrecks and be more traffic oriented. But, you know, once this thing gets going and people start seeing, hey, they're they're not playing around, um, we it it'll help us in some peak times on the interstate. And particularly, I don't want to forget the most important thing is our school zones. All of our school zones are on a on state rideways, but one, and that's Hickerson Station. Every one of them's on state rideways. Uh, the one out at New Union is just it's terrible every day. And um it's a lot of people coming in out of Woodberry or people getting off the interstate and going that direction that are not familiar with it. I'm hoping the school system will work on some more lighting for East Coffee. Those old dangly swinging lights or exactly do east and due west and they collide with the sun and and if you're not from here, you don't realize you're going you're in the middle of a school

zone because you can't see them. If the sun blinds it. So, if they'll put the polls up and that kind of thing, but uh like I said, I I I don't want to turn into um you know, as an elected official, sheriff's writing tickets is not ever good. That's that's the point of the matter. But we got to do what we got to do for safety. And that's just another one of those things that I've got to suck up and deal with. We're we're at that point and about every county around us been doing it for years. Um and and we we've got funds that we're going to use that uh we won't have to come to y'all for on that and can make that happen. And um we're going to see how that goes. I was amazed that they're just a strip down bike. It's about a little over 18,000. So I get two bikes completely outfit them, deck them out, uniforms, helmets, and all that for still less than a patrol car. and yeah, Harley's gliders. I think so it' be the same as highway patrol. Um and and then and it will be good uh PR for the county too for representation of uh funerals and um you know activities and and it's something that we can blend in with the schools and you know let the kids check them out. And I don't ride a bike. Um, hadn't rode a bike in years, but I think they're cool, too. And there's there's something, you know, during Bonaroo when the THP motors get here, you know, it and turn their heads on. Yeah. And they they they're wonderful working traffic and um but I want these bikes to be able to pay for themselves and they will. And um but the main thing is the safety and the speed issue that we're having out in the county. Um Miss Jennifer being out there would slow people down. Yeah. You think

of anything else? Um well, we've uh if you've noticed, so we've uh we've we've done some promotions and changing the rank. We had done that prior prior to the budget passing, but uh it goes me, Chief Watkins, uh now Major um Brad Roberts, third in command. We've brought um Captain Butler out of investigations and he's over on our side of the house now. Hopefully, he'll mold into it. He's a little uncomfortable, a little shaky right now cuz u close to 40 years. He's never just a short time he was an SRO, he's always been a detective or a patrolman, but he he'll mold into it, but he's the department's administrative captain. Brandon Reid has come back to us. Excuse me. He will be um chief investigator over all investigations for general investigations and also over our narcotics investigators and um we we've got that up and running. Um our good friend Jerome Dillard, he's the steady rock at the courthouse and promoted him to sergeant. He's over daily handling of stuff. Uh, Lieutenant Mullins is still the north what I call the north side command over the building and motorpool, but uh, as far as handling inside that courthouse, Jerome Dillard will be taking that. So, we're really excited for those those changes and um, just move moving along and our half of our SRO's went to um, state SRO conference. We kind of split that up half and half. So half stay here to work bon half go to um conference and then next year the other group will go. We we don't send send them all out at once. But that's about all I got to report other

than that. Y'all pretty much know my situation as an open book. I'll answer any questions you might have. How are your air conditioners? Well, they're uh they're still working on that with county maintenance. I don't know that we've heard back. I know I know Mr. Hirshman, Commissioner Hirschman is well tied into that uh this morning. It was quite warm there at that meeting, but up on our end, we shall survive, but I know they're they're working on the parts and trying to get all that in to maybe keep us from having to do the three replacement. We Dennis and I, Mayor Hunt and I got together and with Terry and some others and I I asked for a re-evaluation of that situation and that's the reason when um um cap outlay and budget and finance we uh uh we just budgeted for one potential replacement but they were going to replace three and I got some folks within Lee company that I knew very well said I need you to go back and relook at this and and they they come back with a parts list and said, "Hey, we can we can get you a lot more time." I said, "I want to squeeze that sponge as tight as I can. Save us several hundred,000." That's good. And uh so they're working on doing those parts, but I said I I need to know that when we go from a 100 degree day and it'll just be a short time now, January and February hit and we'll go into those winter storms and cold days cuz we the heat exchangers have been out is is messed up in them. But they felt like maybe $20,000 of repairs and parts and you know maybe up to 50. I said, "Well, that's a lot cheaper than 350. It's a lot cheaper than um you know $150,000 a piece. So we're we're going to make an attempt at that Dwight and um we're gonna continue

to squeeze in peace meal on that. I got another question. It's probably odd. Of course I get some questions from Oklahoma saying uh why do we have to pay that much in taxes? we don't see from teleah homicide why we're having to pay that much in the county and of course I've mentioned well running a jail there is a big item and all how many you probably don't even know have the figure but how many people from end up in this jail they're they're our largest populace populace in the jail is from the populace of the second one's Manchester and third's the county and I will go on and say to my good friends and neighbors of Toma, you're more than welcome to open up your city jail back and take your inmates. I will be delighted for them to do that. Um, and I'm they had a city jail there u until ' 86 and they housed, you know, DUIs, public intoxications and whatnot. Most of them got transferred up to the jail. But Dwight, this is the same question in every county in the United States. Now there is a few municipalities left in the country that still have their own jail but very few. Uh Smyrna and Lever either Smyrna or Leverne have a temporary holding facility but if has a temporary holding facility and if they don't um make bond or if it's on a traffic offense or something they get transferred to county jail. Um but you know if we want to get into the debate of No, I don't think they want it. No. Well, I I know I just didn't know what to answer when it people ask question as a a novice citizen looks and when they're really looking at their taxes and they're like, "Well, we don't what county services do we get?" Well, you get a lot. Um, you know, we the county holds the courts, the county holds the inmates, the county does the EMS,

uh, the county serves the warrants. Um, and you know, of course you got county roads, but most people in Oklahoma say, "I don't usually use county roads." But, well, but it'd be nice, I think, if we could make a list. It it it but it goes what where the way I would look at this if I was county mayor and I had a citizen hit me up about that. You go back to whenever the city of Toma chartered to be a municipality, they signed off as a municipality within our county that they could take care of this. This this is the contract. This is the deal. And um off offices are not constitutional. We are. And uh if if folds in services, we automatically have to take it over as the sheriff. uh if the police department folds, we have to cover it. And um and that's happened many in many little you like in Franklin County, you know, we've seen Huntland open and close. We've seen Cowan open and close in ESTO and there's been many times and and we run into this statewide. All the little towns, they open and close. And the the sheriff's office automatically has to go. And in some of those counties, Mr. Miller, they the little municipalities contract with the sheriff's office. they take what little tax money they got and pay it extra to the sheriff to um help give a little extra coverage to their little town. But I know I I get I've gotten that for years in a debate from some folks from Manchester and you know what what what do we what do we get out of the county? Um you know especially when you pay more in county taxes than you do the city of Toma. Yeah. Now that might have changed. Well, and and and it and it and that's just been in the last, you know, 15 or 20 years. And though, you

know, it's just like the police departments up until Tuesday of this week had had for 25 years have paid extremely more and more. But I remember when Stubblefield can tell you in 1980 he he left the city of Police Department to come to the county because it paid $100 more dollars a month. Well, then they started then went to paying more and he went back. was over $100. And we we went all these years and it it just it fell behind and it fell behind and it fell behind and and I and I I have told both police chiefs and all mayors, if you think what y'all did for us is a threat, it's not because if y'all go in, and nothing against Benton and his people and nothing against they're going to turn right around. If they go up, all you're doing is self-inflating the rest of us. We've got to level this playing field and level it out. If somebody's wanting to go somewhere, then they need to seek out Murphy'sboro. They need to seek out the highway patrol or somewhere else like that. But you're going to get it to a point that you can't you you're not going to be able to sustain it, right? And we we're doing the same job of keeping the peace except I've got a jail and the courts and the warrants. Um but if you go up and go up and go up, they there should not be threatened by us. We're not above any of of Manchester Toma. We're just we're just in the game. We're back in the game to where we were back in the 70s. Back in the 70s, the sheriff's department was the go-to employment. I don't think anybody that I've heard or knew of had any problem about the pay. Well, and I I I appreciate I'm what they were getting, just the ideas that was trying to get. Well, and and I and that was brave of you for what you did that because it it is hard. I can't imagine the position you're in. It's a thankless job. I don't I mean I don't want to pay more taxes living in the city of Manchester and living in the county, but

I I also know at the end of the day that we we had folks that that that are struggling struggling hard. So this has helped your people. Oh yes. I mean you know how rumor I just want to know if if yours are getting filled and everybody is we're going to be fine. And uh there's still folks that have dreams of doing other stuff. I mean, I have a couple that is is really interested in the highway patrol. One's for the insurance and and because of a situation, another one is really interested in in accident stuff. And I'm I'm not because of the pay here or um a conflict with me or whatever. I mean, most times somebody leaves now, it's because they don't like me. Wow. and u and and that's going to happen and and sometimes there's those that I want to see gone. I understand. Okay. So, the feelings can be mutual and that's in any job place. It's just that I'm a public, you know, as you know, the last couple of weeks I've been very public, more public than I want to be, but I signed up for it. I'm here. Um I I I got to do what I got to do. Um but yeah, I I I really get I really, you know, here probation tele city tele doesn't have or city of maners doesn't have a probation department. They don't have the trustes office. They don't have a registered deeds office. Um they don't run a courthouse. They Hey, I mean where we at with the senior citizens? I mean we've got two of everything that you know the countyy's taking care taking care of the libraries. We've got two of them. Yep, we're finally getting possibly getting to a consolidated a consolidated health department. And I agree, there is a whole lot of services that we could consolidate. Um, we got three school systems. Look at where we get on the county level having

to ADA money if we don't watch what we're doing. And um, so a lot of people Yeah. don't think about what else is involved because it doesn't affect them. Well, and it because they don't go to the jail. They don't go to the courts and I hope they don't have to. And probation and all that. The majority of them. So they don't think about any of this stuff. That's right. Most of the time, and it's no nothing against the sheriff's department because this is what it should be. You don't see county guys until home. Well, they're there. U we're down there. There's somebody down there right now. We're down there serving their civil process every day, all day long. But I'm not going to Our narcotics work is down there all the time. 99.9% of the time we're taking care of the narcotics and drug problem the every which way we can down there. That's county and you shouldn't see them and you're not gonna see them. It's just they're we work in mysterious ways. Um, but I got a call the other day with possible standby. Tell the city's got some folks and and right now they're working through it, but they know we will send deputies down there to work and answer calls uh because they've had vacations and um folks and sick and school and an academy and um you know Manchester don't because we're here. We're in the middle of Manchester. We're running through there every day. the way tele is set up geographically, they're just kind of off the beaten path. You could ask the same question about Franklin County because there's quite a bit of little edge of home in Franklin County and u actually got a you got a brand new school in Franklin County. Um I see a number of county sheriff Franklin County Sheriff's Department coming through to where are they going? Yeah, they're coming off Turkey Creek and coming back around and going back towards Esto. They they make that round, but there are

several Frankie County guys that live that live in Yes. Yeah. in. But to, you know, for that that gets put to you, I I had a former Manchester mayor that laid in on me one time about, you know, blah blah blah. And then once I started laying it out and I said, "Are y'all willing to take those services over?" I'm sure the county would, you know, love for y'all to do that and open up a jail. We'd love for you to have a city deal and take folks. I I would like to see a city of reactivate their general sessions court. I didn't know had a general sessions. Oh, yeah. I know they did for years. Yeah. We used to have to go down there every Tuesday. And uh so I I don't I don't think some of them want to get into that debate really deep. Um I think they're just asking questions. Yeah. I I had one or two alderman asking me those kind of questions. They're having to deal with the tax side of it. They're they're having to um they're they're having to they're having to do that. But when they start really when we really break this thing down and we start weighing it out, I mean, I've had questions about the city of Taho potentially doing their own medical response and I'm like, I'm all for it. But when they started pricing it out, how the millions are the cost to get ambulance, I mean it tele has done a phenomenal job as a first responder medics down there and they have saved a lot of lives and they could join that up. But ambulances are expensive and um having that second station down there, we went years and we only had one station on the south end and finally in recent years we got one put out on the north end and that has saved tremendous. But as we grow, there's pains that come with it. And um I I I just I kind of start twitching when I hear the m municipality folks say, "Hey, y'all are the ones that decide to form a city inside the boundaries of the county." Just like the folks in 1836 got together

and formed Coffee County from Warm, Bedford, and Franklin counties. And technically where we're sitting at right now was a part of Bedford County. Hillsboro was part of Franklin County and everything kind of east of 41 and 55 in the Dut River was part of Warren County. So that it we all evolved from somewhere and a state was created from a territory and when we decided to charter a state we agreed that we we were going to do this. So, um, well, I said it wouldn't be a bad idea for the alderman and but half of them or more are new and the county commission to have a little work session. That's I I agree. Or come see us and we'll show you what we'll show you what you're getting for your bill. We'll be glad to talk and if anybody wants to take any of them home with them, we might work that out. But, uh, it is a great question. I get hit with that a lot and it it is hard for people to comp comprehend because they don't they don't see it. But no, you don't see people getting arrested, right? You don't know where they're coming from. And then that's why I asked the question and yeah, I don't have a clue how many people from Oklahoma. Well, just just tell your tell your constituents we appreciate them paying their taxes because that goes towards the food and the medical and the housing of their of their wellendowed inmates. Well, basically what I mostly told them was you're going to pay it one way or the other, one side or the other. So, you're going to pay it regardless. I I I know this ain't the time or place, and I know there's been some things tossed out about Metro government, and and I'm not saying a potential Metro government is not a bad idea, but I will tell you this. um you're still going to have to have the same number of people, the same

number of services. You might save a little bit of administrative cost, but at the end of the day, you still going to have to have the same number of teachers, same number of school buildings, same number of cops. Same number of cops. Um, I've thought many times, boy, if we did have a metro chartered government, you know, which side of the I was like, you know, maybe if I just ran the jail out here, you know, be be all right. U, but then I get to watching Darren Hall and he's he's already he just got done building a brand new jail downtown. He failed his jail inspection last week and he's already meeting with Metro who just went through another what 30 cent tax hike and they're going to have to go out there at Harding Place and probably build another jail cuz they're filling up as fast as they can get. Yeah. I mean it it's crazy. But, uh, we're going to try to keep struggling here and tightening down and and I'm I'm willing to answer any question anybody, any of those alderman or any for that matter, any of those constituents that they want to come. I'd be honored to take them through the jail, introduce them to our investigators, our deputies, our court officers, our SRO's, and um, any anything related or motorpool. Um most people uh m Madam Chairman when they come they they're mo they're a lot of them now if we take them down a motorpool they're most impressed with that of how we most people probably don't even of how we account you know how we accumulated that and I can tell you that I know that um the SRO's from the county have started going and attending sporting events and helping out over there with their um pro with their stuff they got going on outside of school. They started I didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah. We've been going to middle school ball games and high school. Um Yeah. Um Coach Olive, ever since I've been sheriff, we've communicated and um and you know if they

had a backlog or whatever and I just I I just put it out in the schedule deputy sheriff's home is part of Coffee County. Not it's not just Red Raider football. Well, I think some people don't know. Yeah. Yeah. We're we're there. Is county law enforcement supposed to be in Oklahoma? I think it's still part of Kobe County just like them state troopers. We're in the state of Tennessee. You see those state troopers just like the federal government and between here and nearly every trip I make somebody's been stopped. Yeah. And twice most times I mean two different locations in less than 10 12 miles. But I I hate that y'all get those conversations, but a lot of people just don't understand general civics of government. They don't understand municipality charters or county charters or state charters. They just Well, they start to think and start asking questions when their constituents start. So, yeah. Why are we having to pay this and that? And now you want to raise taxes. Teleoma doesn't want to they don't want to go on the percentages. I'll just tell you they don't they they're getting a big bang for their buck right now. So, but it's a very understandable question and happy to help answer it anytime, but uh any anything else? I have a question if you can. Go ahead. I'm just reading the minutes from March and of course listening to the radio every day. I know you guys stay busy with cars and stuff and I saw here where it said you were looking for heavier push bumpers for your vehicles. Yes. Are we talking like Bearcats with solid steel bumpers? Uh I'm talking about Yeah. Uh no, we actually um um I have um I've bought a couple of ranch hands and uh matter of fact was at conference last week and talked to a group out of Mississippi that's going to come up and

probably demo some. Uh Benton, those those push bumpers that we've got right now used to be steel and they're now all aluminum. You've seen how that's watted up. fold up quick. It's It's hurting us more and it's helping us. Excuse me. So, um our our light assemblies are $1,500 a piece from a deer strike or anything and that's on about any late model vehicle now. So, we're we've started converting over using some ranch hands or they're they're they're solid steel and uh but there is another company that I met with it's called Hammerhead out of Mississippi and I want they're going to come up and do some demos on our Expeditions and some of our trucks. That was going to be my next question. With the Expeditions going to a heavier bumper, are they going to hold up? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And and just going from aluminum to steel and and it's a it's not a real heavy steel. another ranch ant. Yeah. And they've also got the lower special wrap. And um my the last four explorers we got that the sergeants are driving. If you notice, they've got that lower wrap and that's that's key. Um but I really I really looked at this hammerhead bumper the other day and we got to talking to those guys and they've got a new rep and and and it actually was developed for the Mississippi Highway Patrol. So they saw what Arkansas was going through and Mississippi said, "Build us a specific bunker." So they're spreading out. They're really taking off. And I said, I wave my hand. I said, "Come to Manchester, Tennessee. I got a full shop and they want to they want to upfit one of our expeditions and try it out." So trying to do what we can to and I had a talk with the guys this morning. I said, "Look, please, please, we got to pick and choose our battles." And I know the serious stuff we have to do and the vehicles that we've lost have been on serious cases. I mean, one guy's avoiding 20 years in the state

penitentiary and the judge is like, get him rounded up and the other one was a indictment for seconddegree murder. Yeah. Familiar with both of them? Yeah. It wasn't just an expired tag or a lie out or something. We're really trailing back on that. and you know if we got an escapee you know like we did with the Franklin County guy and it it's just timing and the way the moons are. What do you do deal like uh Nashville a couple of days ago. That woman was 5 miles an hour and all the tires were gone and still couldn't get her to stop. Well, you bring the oldest car to the front with the best bumper and you stop it. I've heard him on the radio several times give me the oldest car in line. Mhm. Um, you know, we we we we've got some trucks like my truck that I drive. It's 110,000 miles. It's got a heavy winch bumper on it. I could have stopped her. And I can't believe that thing lasted for 30. Well, and and in the same way you watch in LA, as many pursuits as they have in California that's around the Los Angeles area, they they they wait too long. You you got to take them out and take them out quick and you get but you got to make that rapid decision. And that vehicle is a tool. And um I can't figure out why mour she's not going anywhere. And most of these cars now think she's gonna do Yeah. Most of these cars now are made of plastic. I mean it ain't it ain't like you're taking out a 1977 Ford F250. What's you know solid steel? U so yeah. You still happy with your expeditions? after you. Yeah, I mean the guys um I mean that's you know I know we've we've seen some things on social media about trucks and expeditions and what they don't realize those things were basically the same price as the Explorer and those were bought during COVID. I didn't really want an Expedition but I wanted I knew I wanted a two- wheelel drive vehicle. We wanted the Tahoe U but the Expedition was the same chassis uh same wheelbase

and they they were readily available and that's what we were able to get because you couldn't get Explorers, right? um you still can't get them weekly. Yeah. And u but things are coming back, but there's there's not much of a police package out there anymore. And actually the the the companies are moving more towards the the truck line. Um they have the police truck pursuit line now from Dodge, Chevy, and Ford. Our trucks have been great. You got that truck frame, heavier brakes, bigger wheels, safer, they're higher, and uh we've had great luck with them. The reason I ask is I know your your lease is coming up I think next year. Mhm. And are you and I may outside the box, but I'm trying to think long term. Are you looking at keeping in the lease? No. Are you wanting to get rid of We're going to go back buy your own car. That that that lease is leased by name, but what it was is a low interest loan. and it it got us a big shot in the arm and it got us where we needed to be. Um, but we that's the reason I was pushing in this budget. Mariana is going to work on making uh gave her an outlet on funding to pay that big payment and u and then next year we're going to be done with that and we're going to go back to re we're going to go back to re-evaluating and and trying to stretch out because then now things are the markets are getting back to normal and uh but man there's just not um you know this big push for EV stuff and this and that. I don't know what they think rural America is going to do guys. I mean, I just the only reason obviously you need to get what you want, but being on county roads in the winter time, you need an all-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive. Yeah. Well, we park them um during we we park those vehicles and we've got Yeah. We've got we've got some junkers that we or we'll team them up with somebody in a four-wheel drive. So, we've got four-wheel drives, but man, the the maintenance on a two wheel drive. I mean, I just wish we'd go back to a plane Jane Crown vehicle or Caprice

because we look at we we made it for years. people run around in two wheel drive cars better than whatnot. You had to know how to drive then. Yeah, you did. But uh we we just uh use common sense and just park in, get off the road. Before we get to Miss Baker's report, do you have anything new to report on the judicial commissioners? It needs to be dealt with and it needs to be dealt with. I I mean, I'm a hot topic right now, but I will say uh y'all probably need to talk with the two city agencies and yeah, all I'm hearing is issues, but well, I've I've heard uh some new come up recently that that's Yeah. Who I'm only asking who is the mayor is over the judicial commissioners. Does this committ anything when we hire them, they come through this committee to go to the full commission. But as far as I know we hadn't done that since I've been on the commission. So, right. As far as I I don't think there's been any opening since you've been on the commission, but um Yeah. And I I just I have put in some inquiries to the JCAT judicial Well, y'all know what it means. I'm I'm named in enough lawsuits right now. I haven't got any answers back yet. Hopefully I will soon and when I get some answers, I'll send that out. That's that's left up to y'all and I I'm just watching from afar. I've reported what I reported. I report to you what my staff reports, deputies report. I got a call the other day. We're getting a lot of warrant refusals. Some of your folks got refused a warrant the other day. I can't I don't know why. And we're still getting a lot of this silliness, no bond stuff on DUI. I'm like, you know, DUI. Yeah. The

judges are going to have I mean, that's that's the judiciary. I'm just trying to mitigate something before it gets bad, but somebody's going to end up in a lawsuit. I don't know. Linda's in court every day. She might be able to tell me. It's just weird. That's what the JCAT training is for. You know that. and that they are pretty strict on telling you how to set some certain bonds, which is DUIs and domestic violence and so forth. So, we we need our magistrates, but we need good ones. They answer the mayor. Do they have any dealings with the judges? Yep. I mean, yeah, the judges and the DA's office, I mean, they they they make guidelines on that stuff. But as far as supervision and oversight that's coming from the county mayor, not the hiring and the firing or the firing or the separation is is strictly the mayor. This body could be involved in it. Y'all do the confirmation on it. Um, but as far as their legal work, that's strictly the, you know, judges and in the in the DA's office. And I know they've really tried diligently to and in the past administration, they had like a supervisor that was like, we had no supervisor out there, Bud Bobby. They were actually over the judicial commissioners. And now now there's not one. The he needs to get my my personal opinion. He needs The previous mayor wanted the mayor's office to be over the commissioners, but the mayor look, not not the not the current mayor. I got you. I got you. The mayor's office has got plenty to deal with out here. It needs to be something internal out there. I can't um they're a third and separate party. And a lot of people think they work for the sheriff's office. They don't. They just So, we need another bud and another Bobby. I I feel like there needs to be somebody over that department. But yeah.

But, you know, I don't wish no ill will on nobody, but I'm get I'm tired of getting weekend calls about why is my Johnny in here for DUI first with no bond and that's not is it not that's not good. Is it consistent commissioners or is it across the board? I'll just let you do your own private research. I'm I'm I'm kind of scared right now. I'll blame Thank you. Anything else? No, that's all I think. Thank y'all. Appreciate y'all really sincerely. Later we may have a in a few months we may have a special call meeting over the judicial commissioners and invite some of them here. Just just a thought. Questions need answers from Oklahoma City and you know Yeah, that's a good idea. Well, most of them I have never even seen. I wouldn't know if I saw them. Some questions need answers that if we're having continuous problems. Yeah, I I know I and and I told the person that called me over I think it was last weekend that I don't have anything. This committee has no control over what they do besides, you know, we recommend them to the full commission when they put in an application, but I got to call complaint on one. I said call the mayor's office. So, and I don't know if they did or not, but Would it be would it be beneficial to look in to try to see if and they may not be able to at all but try to get them under our this committee's umbrella and have I kind of feel like they need to be under the judge's umbrella but um that may be something a discussion we need to try to figure out and policies maybe get with and okay I'll see what the best idea something needs to be done. There needs to be somebody that can keep watch over

that office. Yeah. And make sure those bonds are being done like they're supposed to. I agree. Thank you, Sheriff. Miss Baker, can you give us the probation report, please? So, this is for March, April, and May of this year. It's a three-month time frame. Keep in mind, clients and cases are not the same thing. Um some clients have multiple cases that they're on probation for. On average, our um full average case load was around 880 active clients. That does not include warrant status. There were se 279 new cases. This does not mean new clients. This means new cases over a threemonth time span. We closed out 316 cases. We are um following 48 state cases. That means they have state sentences and when they get finished with whatever they're doing with the state, then they come to us. That's a full case load. I have to run those foil searches. Um I have to stay in communication with the state because they don't update the foil searches and then you have to chase down the probation officer and stay in communication. And that's that's that's a case load. It's a It's a small case load, but it's a case load. Um, we have one person that um has been on regular bond conditions. He's a state case that will end up getting state time, but he's coming out of circuit and he comes in um monthly for drug screens. So, um we provide that service for bond conditions. on our violation. We've um submitted 153 violation warrants over a threemonth period. Some of these warrants are not what we call bad warrants. There's a such thing as that that is a good warrant. And there's a law that will not

allow us just to extend someone on probation. If they're not finished with their court requirements, we have to actually do a violation. We put an RO bond on there. that's the only um violation that we can fill out the bond because there's not jail time. It's that they they need more time to finish their requirement. If they don't have that time to finish that requirement and we don't do that violation, then we lose authority on them. So, some of those 153 violation warrants um are not bad warrants. We resolved 139 violation warrants during this time period. Before we um wrote those 153 violation warrants, we phoned 255 different messages in an attempt to get them in compliance. And we mailed out 94 pending violation letters asking them, "Hey, come see us. You're on probation." So, we go to great lengths before we actually do a violation of probation. There were 2,937 um appointments scheduled with clients. 394 of those appointments were cancelled over that three-month period. They called and cancelled and said, "We've got work. We've got this. Can't make it." And we rescheduled those appointments. There were 30 people that just no showed. And they get a text message the day before at 12:00. there's a me a mass message text reminder that goes out to everybody that has an appointment the next day to remind them that they have an appointment for probation. So, we've taken a lot of extra precautions before we fill out these warrants for people. Um, we did 185 intakes. Those are our very first time appointments. During that three-month time span, we had um 1,714 follow-up appointments, 889

non-scheduled phone appointments. And what that mean what that means is the client was calling into us. They need something and we're documenting what they're calling in for. We've set up a rehab bed. They missed their ride and didn't get there. So, they're calling and then we're calling back. So, we had 889 phone contacts that were not scheduled. Um, 249 phone calls with therapists and case workers. If you look at the probation court requirements, um, there were 149 alcohol and drug evaluations completed, 26 clients completed inpatient A and D treatment, 28 completed a outpatient. There were six that completed um a one-time alcohol and drug education class. 12 clients completed domestic violence evaluation. And there were 12 that completed batteries intervention which is 26 weeks of class. We had 14 people to complete a mental health evaluation. Six people completed mental health counseling. You will not find a mental health provider that likes to tell you that that person has completed mental health counseling because that is a lifelong thing. It's ongoing. it es and flows. You'll go into treatment, you'll be stable, you'll come out of treatment, then you'll go back in. So, we just get um a letter from them that they're a level of stability at this time. We had four people that submitted their public service work. We had 11 clients to complete theft class. We don't teach theft class every month. It's every other month. And um we teach that class um every other month on a Friday. There were 274 people that um submitted proof of a job, school or disability. Our entire office is trained um with exception of the administrative

assistant is trained in doing ASIS and ASAMs and those are alcohol and drug evaluations. Instead of us having to farm those out to other people, we are certified to be able to do that. But being able to balance that with courts, their case loads, we don't do that on a regular basis, but there were two that were completed during that time. You can see the demographics on the the last page, and again, that's for a threemonth time frame. That kind of tells you um our client population that we have on probation. During this three-month period, our administrative assistant was out on medical leave for six weeks. We didn't have anybody entering cases at the front desk. We didn't have anybody answering the front desk door. It was all left up to probation. We have a bail that we put out there. My team went a really above and beyond during this time frame. It was very hectic, very stressful trying to balance everything. April was one of our highest months for drug screens. And I can't remember exactly what the number was, but it was one of our our highest numbers. We've been tracking that for the past year. I'm actually getting ready to release a report that tells you how many drug screens we've did, how many are positive, how many were sent to the lab. I'm getting ready to do a full year report. Um, we had two people during this time to pass away during this time frame. Um, and those were drugreated overdoses that they they had passed away from. Um my team is very thankful for um the raises that they got. Very very thankful for that. Um I had someone to turn in their notice today. A so even though even after the race even after the race I had someone to turn in the notice today and it

happens. So, um that position will be posted um for the amount of time and we will take applications and resumes and go from there. We'll pull through it. What kind of position is this one? It's a probation position. So, they need a degree. Four-year college degree. How many people do you have in your office? There's eight of us. And you carry a case load, too. I carry a case load as well. If I carry a case load, then their case loads are higher and we all rotate court. So, yeah, Miss Baker, I'm sure you know her, but she does an excellent job, but I thank you for your detailed report. She always a good report. I wish you could have 10 more in office. Yeah, that would be nice. That would be nice. Any questions? I think we're good. Thank you. um tenatively since we're we have these meetings quarterly October 9th at 4:30 tentatively but that'll be in three months the second Thursday I think in October. Um, I'm going to get checked with Dennis and see who see if there's anything we might can do about this other situation or if we can have some kind of maybe special meeting and who who needs to be there with the judicial commissioners because it's it's becoming a ongoing problem. Definitely need to get a judge in here anyway. Yeah, I think I think we may need to check with some of the like Laura said, maybe the police chiefs and judges and the mayor and see what we can come up with. So, anything else? I need a motion to adjurnn. I'll make a

motion to adjurnn. Dwight. I'll second. I'm sorry. I'm still Everybody in favor say I. I. And I'll send you a reminder of course when it gets a little closer. And I'll probably send someone because I'll be out of town that week. Okay. So I'll try to send Jerry. Okay. Thank you.