Today the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office received its copy of the Annual Financial Report of Bradley County for the year ended, June 30, 2007.

Because earlier in the budget year the Bradley News Weekly questioned the credit card purchases of the BCSO, it is worth noting that the auditors found all of the Sheriff’s Office credit card purchases to be compliant with the law and for official purposes.

The auditor did note some minimal use of the credit card for official items other than emergencies or travel and recommended when it is not an emergency to utilize the county’s purchase order system to make those non-travel related purchases. However, the auditor did note that the county’s credit card policy did not prohibit such use and if that was the county’s intention, the policy needed to be clarified.

The BCSO would like to point out that each time the credit card was used for official purposes for non-travel related items that were not emergency related; the credit card purchase resulted in a savings to taxpayers or was used because the vendor did not take purchase orders. For example, on 1/22/07, two vacuum cleaners were purchased for the BCSO and because they were on sale at the time, the employees decided to use the credit card instead of a purchase order to take advantage of the sale time, which was ending. This legitimate use of the credit card actually saved taxpayer money on the cost of the vacuum cleaners.

Sheriff Tim Gobble commends the men and women of the BCSO for being good stewards of taxpayer money and performing their duties in an exemplary manner.

Six juveniles from 15 to 17 years old have been charged with two separate incidents of vandalism in January at an Urbane Road warehouse. Damage reports filed by the owner of the building and three tenants surpass $15,000.

Bradley County Sheriff’s Detective Joseph Lee said forensic evidence collected by Det. Laura Lane and Deputy Jody Musselwhite provided crucial leads to the identification of the six suspects.

Det, Lea investigated the case and took the six youths into custody this week.

One of the building tenants, the Prayer Center, had donations destroyed that were intended to help the needy.

Advanced Photographic Solutions and Access Color Lab that had leased space for storage reported damages to expensive photographic equipment and supplies.

The six youths are from a neighborhood near the warehouse.

They have been charged with burglary and vandalism and were held at Bradley County’s Juvenile Detention Center.

Glenn Wallace Swafford, arrested Tuesday after fleeing from Bradley County Sheriff’s patrol deputies, is now facing federal charges.

Swafford was taken before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan K. Lee in Chattanooga on Thursday and was detained on a federal criminal complaint for weapons and narcotics violations.

Glenn Wallace Swafford

When arrested, Swafford was the most wanted fugitive on Bradley County’s 10 Most Wanted list.

He will be held at the Bradley County jail.

Glenn Wallace Swafford, one of Bradley County's 10 Most Wanted fugitives, was captured and taken into custody Tuesday night after he tried to hide from BCSO deputies in a car near Old Parksville and Lebannon roads.

Swafford was being sought on a felony charge of failing to attend a hearing in court in October of last year. He had been spotted in the area on several occasions, but managed to flee the scene before deputies could arrive.          

Glenn Swafford, from the BCSO Top10 Most Wanted has been captured.

Any time the public has information relevant to a criminal or a crime, they can contact the BCSO by calling either 911 or the Criminal Investigations Division at (423) 728-7336.