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BradleySheriff.com
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Sheriff'sBlog
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Thursday, 14 January 2010 |
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive illegal drug that affects the central nervous system. Symptoms include dilated pupils, sweating, dry mouth, flushed skin and tremors. Users may also exhibit aggressive and psychotic behavior, irritability, anxiety, paranoia and auditory hallucinations. If meth users survive their addiction, long-term effects can include serious cardiac and neurological damage.
Meth doesn’t just wreak havoc on users. The chemicals used to make the drug can damage the kidney, liver and central nervous system of anyone who may be exposed to them. Also, these chemicals can leech into walls, carpets, furniture, clothing, plaster, wood and even the surrounding soil. The manufacture of meth not only poisons the area in which it is manufactured, it also creates a volatile and highly flammable situation … explosions and fires are not uncommon.
I cannot list all the poisons that go into making meth because it is such a long list; however, some of the chemicals used include acetone, starter fluid, drain cleaner, lye, antifreeze, paint thinner, iodine, red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, battery acid, and other highly poisonous substances. In fact, meth is so poisonous, so toxic, that the area where it is manufactured must be cleaned and decontaminated by Hazmat teams in protective clothing. The cost of cleaning the remnants of a meth lab can run anywhere from $2,000 to over $20,000.
In addition to the immediate costs of cleaning contaminated meth lab sites, meth use contributes to domestic violence, child abuse, automobile accidents and increased local, state and federal taxpayer dollars to pay for additional law enforcement, social services, medical costs and emergency room use. Also, since the drug is typically injected, usage can spread infectious diseases when addicts share needles.
Some meth makers practice the hit-and-run tactic of setting up operations in temporary quarters such as hotels or motel rooms. By doing this, they hope to stay under the radar, but the danger to travelers and others staying in adjoining rooms is very immediate. Hotel/motel owners and managers are well-advised to report any suspicious activity or odors coming from their rooms, as this may be an indication that a meth lab is operating. The BCSO will quarantine any such rooms or houses confirmed to have been used to manufacture meth until a certified environmental specialist certifies the rooms are safe for habitation.
The BCSO’s drug unit, patrol deputies and Criminal Investigations Division working in cooperation with the city, the 10th Judicial DTF and other law enforcement agencies have been very effective in reducing meth operations in Bradley County. Since 2007, meth labs here have been reduced by over 67 percent. Although methamphetamine continues to be a problem, we are constantly working to shut meth labs down as they are discovered. The Tennessee legislature has also done a good job of restricting the purchase of ingredients used to make meth.
Illegal drugs will never entirely be eliminated as long as there is a demand and an unscrupulous criminal element willing to meet that demand, but we will continue meeting the threat head-on. Through the efforts of the men and women of the BCSO partnering with business, community organizations and private citizens, we can be effective in reducing drug and criminal activity here in Bradley County.
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Thursday, 07 January 2010 |
The Inmate Work Crews continue to exceed our expectations. Their hard work during 2009, resulted in an approximate savings to Bradley County taxpayers of $1.1 million. That’s in addition to the approximately $4.2 million in revenues the BCSO generates for the County Fund each year, and doesn’t include the unspent budgeted money we return to the county each year.
The $1.1 million figure is based on approximate, minimum-wage and/or county salaries that would have been paid or contracted out for the same services had they not been provided by low-risk inmates who volunteer to be part of the work crews.
Breaking it down into approximate figures, the five inmates who work in the BCSO garage, servicing and maintaining our fleet, saved taxpayers $153,700; the eight inmates helping out the Road Department saved $160,000; the five inmates who help out at the Tri-State Exhibition Center saved taxpayers $75,000; and the 16 inmates who help our food contractor prepare meals in the jail kitchen saved taxpayers $275,184. That is an approximate total of $663,884.
In addition to that, the crews that work picking up trash along the roadways and helping with other duties at county schools and qualified non-profit organizations (such as maintenance, landscaping, painting, brick-work, cleaning, etc.) totaled approximately $500,000. That’s $175,000 for the crew supervised by Deputy Jon Parker and $325,000 for the crew supervised by Deputy Ralph Oliver, for an approximate total of $500,000.
Added together, these figures equate to approximately $1,163,884 the county would have had to spend if they had hired the work out, or if county employees had to do it. This is not only a tremendous savings to the taxpayer, but if gives qualified inmates the opportunity to do something productive while paying their debt to society.
• A shooting at a federal courthouse in Las Vegas that left a court security officer dead and a deputy U.S. marshal wounded is a stark reminder that we cannot take court security lightly. The deputies of BCSO’s Judicial Services continue to do a good job of protecting the 13 different courts that operate here in Bradley County.
While we now have good security measures in place at these locations, the Bradley County Courthouse on the square continues to be vulnerable because of the unsecured underground parking area and lack of manpower to operate the magnetometers. We had an opportunity to address the problem of the unsecured garage using grant money to acquire a security gate, but unfortunately the county commission turned the money down, and it was given to Polk County instead. The commission also did not approve our funding request for the manpower needed to operate the magnetometers at the main courthouse on a regular basis.
Protecting 13 different courts with limited resources and manpower is a challenge, but our court deputies have proven themselves capable and professional, and I am grateful for their dedication. The law requires the sheriff to have at least one deputy in the court while in session. And good security practices dictate that all persons entering a courtroom for any purpose be screened outside the courtroom for unauthorized weapons or dangerous substances.
• A BCSO year-end report prepared by our Corrections Division records 2,391 transports of prisoners/mental health patients during 2009; which is 449 more than 2008. Transport means the inmate(s) is moved out of the jail facility by vehicle to another location for court, medical treatment, etc. For the year of 2009, these transports included 707 in-state, 61 out-of-state, 722 federal, 488 Juvenile and Sessions Court, 370 mental health and 43 medical appointments. All these transports went smoothly and without incident, and the Corrections deputies deserve credit for their good work, both inside and outside the jail.
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Monday, 04 January 2010 |
It has been said that the United States is a nation of immigrants. I agree with that. Unless you are of Native American ancestry, your forefathers came to these shores from some other part of the world. We have a rich history of ethic diversity and cultural influences. It is one of the things that have made us unique in the world.
However, it is important to separate those who emigrate here from other countries through legal channels from those who attempt to by pass our laws and sneak in illegally. We are a nation of laws and illegal/criminal activity runs contrary to that principle.
Mass illegal immigration is also bad for our country because it puts a burden on our resources and public services, such as law enforcement, medical, educational and social services. Right now, our nation is struggling with weakened economic conditions, with some states actually facing the possibility of bankruptcy because of uncontrolled spending. As a nation, we cannot continue supporting mass groups of non citizens with U.S. citizens’ taxpayer money.
Adding to this danger are attempts by some lawmakers to grant amnesty and give “legal” status to illegal immigrants, complete with all attendant rights American citizens now have, including the right to vote. It is not reasonable that a person should enter our country illegally and then be given the right to participate in elections to select the very people who will decide high level policies, such as immigration. This cannot be allowed to happen.
Also, we should never underestimate the importance of border security to the safety and stability of our nation. It is estimated that there are between 11 to 20 million illegal aliens in this country. The unrestrained flow of illegal traffic across our borders has a direct impact on national security and the ramifications of allowing it to continue go well beyond Bradley County. International crime syndicates and violent street gangs such as MS13 are well positioned to take advantage of countries that fail to secure their borders, and they are doing so. Open borders also allow easy access to any terrorist or terrorist group wishing to sneak biological and/or small tactical nuclear weapons or other radiation devices into the country. National security demands that we must do a better job of securing our borders.
We here at the BCSO take a proactive approach in identifying and confronting criminal activity in our community, including those who are here illegally. Whenever a person is arrested for a crime in Bradley County and their identity is suspect, they are checked against our Criminal Alien Program (CAP) to determine citizenship or legal status. Anyone who is found to be here illegally is turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation, upon completion of their sentence or disposition of their court case.
America has always welcomed people from other countries, but having people cross our borders illegally cannot, and should not, be allowed. It is a direct threat to our national sovereignty and places an even heavier burden on future generations.
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Tuesday, 22 December 2009 |
Another year draws to a close and, as always, we look back and forward ~ back to where we have been and forward to where we are going. Bradley County has had a good year in many ways, including attracting new industry to the area.
Wacker Chemie, which is moving an operation to Bradley County, is a German based international company which produces a wide range of specialty silicon chemical products. Also, Volkswagen is building a new plant in Hamilton County. Not only will these two companies offer new employment opportunities for area residents, but both will attract support businesses and suppliers which will add even more job opportunities.
We have been fortunate in Bradley County in that we haven’t been hit as hard by the recession as other areas of the country. That is not to say we haven’t been impacted at all, simply that we are better positioned than some other counties. Looking ahead, I believe that by working together, our elected officials on local, state and federal levels can make a positive difference for all citizens. That is why I believe our future is bright and we will continue to see economic growth and development.
Throughout 2009, the BCSO continued to move forward with new programs, building a strong law enforcement presence and saving tax payer money. Overall crime in Bradley County remains down over what we’ve seen in the past. We are still clearing cases at a rate significantly above the national average, and average emergency response times are better than at any other time in BCSO history.
We will continue to upgrade our equipment and technology in order to not only deter crime, but to develop methods of predicting where crime is likely to occur. That type of proactive approach is vital in meeting criminal activity head on and stopping it at the source.
We are also serving warrants at a record pace, protecting 13 different courts, and successfully managing jail operations and the workhouse program.
I have worked hard to improve deputy pay so Bradley County can keep and attract highly qualified, skilled and professional deputies. This will continue into the foreseeable future.
Also, the BCSO has been able to return approximately $660,000 of budgeted money to the county’s General Fund since I have been in office by managing resources more effectively. Hopefully, this next year will be no exception. The wise and prudent use of taxpayer money has always been our goal.
The coming year will also see my final eight months as sheriff of Bradley County. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I can’t express my appreciation to everyone who has supported us in what we’ve tried to do. Happy New Year and God bless you all.
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Friday, 18 December 2009 |
I would like to send my best wishes to you all for health and happiness during the holiday season and throughout the years ahead. As we celebrate Christmas this week, I hope we will remember the concepts of peace on earth and goodwill to others.
We have several holiday traditions at the Gobble household and, like so many others, our favorites involve simply spending time with family. Having the family together and watching the old Jimmy Stewart classic, “It’s A Wonderful life” is a great way to usher in the Christmas season. At some point when everyone’s schedules allow, we also like to have a “Scrooge Party,” where we all have bowls of soup and enjoy the old black and white version of “A Christmas Carol.”
Our family enjoys a very conventional Christmas, gathering with the extended family at someone’s home on Christmas Eve to share a great home-cooked meal and open gifts around a beautifully decorated tree. When the children were younger, as bedtime neared, we would return home in anticipation of Santa Claus coming. With cookies and hot chocolate, I would gather the children on the couch in front of the fireplace and read to them from “The Night Before Christmas.” Following the story, they headed off to bed in anticipation of Santa’s visit.
Now that the children are older, it is still the greatest blessing to have them home and spend time with them on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
As so many people take to their automobiles, traveling locally and out-of-state to visit friends and relatives, shopping, and just driving around enjoying the Christmas lights, it is easy to become distracted. Let’s be extra careful to look out for the other guy. Nothing ruins the season quicker than accidents and injuries on the highway.
Also, do not drink and drive. If you become impaired from alcohol or drugs and get behind the wheel of an automobile, you will be placing yourself and others at great risk. If you are driving while impaired and get pulled over by a law enforcement officer, it can cost you your freedom and hefty fines in court. A DUI arrest can also result in increased insurance premiums and put a blot on your driving record.
Every aspect of drinking and driving carries possible negative results. If you will consider the risks, you will realize it is simply not worth it. Too many innocent people have lost their lives on our roadways because of the diminished abilities of a drunk driver. Surely someone in your group can abstain from alcohol for one night and serve as a designated driver. If not, then perhaps you could take it upon yourself to be that designated driver.
Again, my best wishes to all during the Christmas season and throughout the coming year.
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