By: Sheriff Jim Ruth

"The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is that the pessimist is usually better informed" - Clare Boothe Luce, journalist.

Different social issues and societal problems occupy the collective mind of our taxpaying citizens in southeast Tennessee from time to time. The demand for jobs, new roads, new schools, and beefing up of public safety efforts seems to run in cycles.

By Sheriff Jim Ruth

A few weeks ago I attended a training session for Tennessee Sheriffs.  The Commission of Safety told us that changing the laws that govern the sale of legal drugs that are used to make illegal meth will not be top priority on the Governor’s legislative agenda this year.  Instead, they plan to tweak some drunk driving laws. There was a fuzzy half-promise to look at the meth problem next year.  

Let’s see, time and energy will be spent on making it easier for convicted drunk drivers to get driving privileges back instead of dealing with this scourge of meth. 

The year 2012 was another very busy and productive year for your Bradley County Sheriff’s Deputies. We have implemented several new programs to assist us in being more efficient and effective in our day-to-day operations.

We continue with the institution of our strategic planning process which includes the Professional Development Program (better educated, trained, prepared deputies), Merit Pay Plan, (completed - awaiting budget action by our Commissioners), and our Career Service Plan (this provides security for our deputies and their families).

We have also begun the implementation of our Intelligence Led Policing Program. The ILP will enable us to "work smarter," sharing all important data on a timely basis to identify and apprehend criminals.