Sheriff-elect Jim Ruth has completed appointments to his central command and has made selections for Chief Deputy and Captains of the five divisions that make-up the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office.

Topping the six appointments is his selection of Wayne Bird as Chief Deputy. Bird comes to the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office from the Groveland Florida Police Department where his specific assignment was that of Special Investigator. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the job from the college degrees he has earned and having over 30 years of employment in various levels of law enforcement work and administration.

Ruth said Bird will be an asset in laying the groundwork for the future of law enforcement through some of the new programs he plans to implement after assuming office.

Starting his career at the age of 21 at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, Bird has served at all levels of law enforcement including patrolman, sergeant, lieutenant and captain in both patrol and criminal investigations. His credentials include holding positions of Captain of Special Investigations for vice, narcotics and intelligence and as Detective Captain and Multi-Agency Task Force Commander for another Florida agency.

As part of his impressive career, Bird served a special assignment in Southeast Tennessee working concurrently as a Bradley County Deputy Sheriff and Drug Enforcement Administration Agent. He was also part of an Organized Criminal Activity and Drug Trafficking multi-agency operation in Florida that reached out into other southeastern states, and he has served as coordinator of a statewide grand jury investigating organized crime.

Bird holds an Associate of Science degree from Valencia College in Orlando Florida, a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Rollins College in Winter Park Florida, and a Master of Science Degree from the Church of God School of Theology here in Cleveland. He is also a graduate of the 100th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia.

Ruth said Bird and the other appointments he is announcing fulfill his criteria of being law enforcement professionals who are willing to give 110% of their effort to serve the citizens of Bradley County.

Other appointments include:

• Tom Wasson as Captain in the patrol division. His career in law enforcement started 21 years ago as a reserve officer for the Cleveland Police Department. Wasson has been at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office for the past 16 years where his most recent appointment was as a Lieutenant in the Training and Support Services Division. Wasson is a certified firearms instructor and is certified to teach other courses by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Testing (POST) Commission. He holds an Associate of Science degree from Cleveland State Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  
• Jon Collins has been appointed Captain of Corrections. Collins has spent his entire career at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office. He progressed through the ranks of the patrol division and was promoted to captain in 2006. Captain Collins is currently attending the FBI National Academy and will graduate from this prestigious program in mid-September. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee’s Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy and the Institute for Police Technology and Management.
• Brian Quinn returns to the BCSO as Captain of the Criminal Investigations Division after serving two years as Safety and Security Coordinator for the Bradley County and Cleveland City School Systems. Quinn’s law enforcement career started as a patrol deputy 1993. During his employment he also worked in the Criminal Investigations Division and reached the rank of Lieutenant in the Drug Enforcement Unit. Quinn has completed numerous specialized schools and is certified as a crime prevention specialist. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Management from Bryan College in Dayton Tennessee. 
•  Eric Watson will serve as Captain of Judicial Services. Watson joined the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy in 1991. He served with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for three years, rejoining the BCSO in 1999. He was promoted to Lieutenant in the Judicial Services Division in 2006. Captain Watson has also served as a state law enforcement officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and he currently represents the 22nd legislative district in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Watson has completed numerous training seminars and programs on court and judicial services, including the Tennessee Supreme Court Courthouse Security School and the United States Marshall’s Service Academy on State and Local Courthouse Security. Watson received a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Andersonville Seminary.
• Jim Hodgson will continue serving as Captain of the Training and Support Services Division. Hodgson joined the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office in 1987 after serving with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. During his career Captain Hodgson has held a variety of patrol, investigative, and management assignments. He is perhaps best known as an instructor for a number of law enforcement training topics. He is nationally recognized by the Community Policing Consortium as a County – Level Community Policing Trainer and by the U.S. Department of Justice as an instructor in Domestic Terrorism Orientation and Awareness. He serves on the faculty of the Basic Law Enforcement Academy at Cleveland State Community College. Capt. Hodgson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he has also completed post-graduate studies in Public Administration.

Ruth said he will have more information about programs he wants to implement or enhance in the weeks ahead. He feels Bradley County is on the verge of seeing a surge in growth that will challenge all levels of government, but with his staff they are ready to meet the challenge.