During the coming year, the BCSO will continue our determined policy of identifying and dealing with all those in our community who break the law, including those who turn out to be here illegally. Every person who is arrested for a crime in Bradley County is checked for citizenship or legal status. If this cannot be verified through our Criminal Alien Program (CAP), they are turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation. The message is, Bradley County is not a sanctuary for anyone attempting to bypass or subvert our immigration laws.

The year 2008 is the first year the BCSO began keeping records of the number of illegals arrested in Bradley County. We will continue to keep track of those numbers in the future, but of those arrested for crime during 2008, the BCSO found 49 of them to be in the country illegally. They have all been turned over to ICE for deportation.

I understand that people of all nationalities seek to live in our great nation, and the BCSO does not single out any nationality for special scrutiny. We are not anti-immigration. On the contrary, I support and encourage legal immigration, with the emphasis on “legal.” I also support educational and work visa programs, and welcome all those who wish to make a life for themselves and their families in our country and our community if they follow the laws of our land. We are a nation of laws and those laws were designed and implemented at the will of the people. My job is to enforce the law.

As a former Secret Service agent and from my service on the Tennessee District III Homeland Security Council, I am especially aware of how important border security is to the safety and stability of our nation. We simply cannot allow the free, unfettered flow of people coming into this country illegally. Current estimates of illegal aliens into this country range from 11 to 20 million. Illegal immigration and national security go hand-in-hand, and the ramifications go well beyond Bradley County. International crime syndicates, terrorists 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. National security dictates we must do a much better job securing our nation’s borders.

I have always believed that one of the first requirements of citizenship is to obey the laws of the land. When someone intentionally comes to this country in violation of these laws, they have failed one of the basic tenets for granting citizenship. The BCSO is doing everything legally possible to deal with the problem here in Bradley County. If you are dissatisfied with the illegal immigration policies of our state and nation, make your feelings known to your representatives in Nashville and Washington, DC.  They have a duty and responsibility to listen to you. This is still a government “of the people, by the people and for the people,” and as always, I will continue to do my part to represent your interests and make government work for you here in Bradley County.

In a world where chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons can be easily concealed and smuggled into the country, I cannot overstate how important secure borders and immigration enforcement is in protecting our safety and sovereignty as a nation.

 We will be entering a new year in a few days and many people will be on the road, traveling locally and out-of-state to visit friends and relatives. I want to wish everyone well this holiday. Obviously, if you are going to be drinking, do not get behind the wheel of an automobile. Not only does drinking and driving put yourself and others at great risk, it can result in jail time and loss of your license for one year for a first offense.

One of the BCSO programs I am proud of here at the jail is the BCSO Inmate Work Program. You may have seen inmates picking up litter around the county. In addition to litter pick-up, they perform many other valuable functions for Bradley County. During the month of November alone, the work crews in the Inmate Work Program helped paint the gym at Tennessee Christian Preparatory School, spread mulch at Charleston Elementary, worked at Tri-State Exhibition Center, unloaded trucks and moved other items for Habitat for Humanity and helped maintain the grounds at Union Grove Cemetery. Additionally, these crews worked here at the Bradley County Justice Center pulling weeds, raking up leaves, landscaping and performing miscellaneous other duties. Again, these inmates are a tremendous help to Bradley County and a great savings to taxpayers. I am very proud of the good job they do. Any non-profit organization or government entity (city or county) that would like to have benefit of the BCSO Inmate Work Program can call us here at the Justice Center to get on the waiting list.

Another operation that I would like to highlight for the good job they do is the BCSO garage. Currently, the BCSO operates an effective vehicle maintenance program for approximately $135,000 per year. This is an excellent price and is largely due to the fact that we have access to inmate labor, we re-use parts off old patrol vehicles that have been retired, and we pay no mark-ups on parts and service we perform ourselves. By doing this we are able to fund our garage at about 166 percent less than other area law enforcement vehicle maintenance budgets with similar sized fleets. This is good news for the county taxpayer.

Additionally, public safety requirements for Bradley County residents require that BCSO vehicles receive priority service so they can stay operational, deterring crime and answering calls. We are currently able to do this by operating our own garage. When the County Commission was looking at utilizing the city garage to service county vehicles, it was noted in a Chattanooga Times Free Press article (December 11, 2008) that the City of Cleveland was unwilling to place any county vehicles ahead of their own.

Since this would put the safety of county residents at a lower priority, I cannot support the idea of using the city garage for the BCSO fleet. Also, based on the dollar amount allocated for the city police vehicle maintenance budget, we would have to significantly increase our own vehicle maintenance budget by about 166 percent to cover the mark-up on parts and gasoline and budget for labor costs that we currently get for free.

Also keep in mind, the BCSO is paying 27 percent of our current garage lease from drug money seizures at absolutely no cost to the taxpayer. I am not aware of any  fleet management operation in the state that is more effective or efficient that than ours, even with leasing the building. I commend employees Lt. Mike Boggess, Earl Pike, Doug Albritton and Emmett Banks, as well as all the low-risk inmates for their hard work at the BCSO garage. They have kept some of these extremely high-milage vehicles on the road long after most law enforcement agencies would have had them replaced. Again, this is good news for the taxpayer.

In closing, I want to extend my appreciation to so many of you who have supported and encouraged the BCSO over the years. May you all have a safe, healthy and prosperous new year.

The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is located at 2290 Blythe Ave., SE, Cleveland 37311. Visit us online at: www.bradleysheriff.com. If you would like to contact me personally, email: comments@bradleysheriff.com

The FBI confirmed this week what I have been saying for a while now. That is, the BCSO is doing an above-average job of clearing crime cases in Bradley County. According to the annual FBI “Crime in the United States” report for the year 2007, the BCSO achieved a crime clearance rate of 48.93 percent last year. The national average is somewhere around 30 percent. This is more evidence that we are operating consistently and effectively above the national average, even with limited resources in many areas.

I credit the good work of our deputies, as well as the fact that we were able to put more patrol deputies on the road by better utilizing existing resources when I first took office. I am fortunate to have a top-notch management team and some of the best patrol deputies in the state. They have done a great job in combating crime. The quick response time of deputies has even resulted in catching more criminals in the act.

And while I’m giving credit to BCSO employees, I want to also include the deputies who work in the jail. Considering the high-stress environment of a jail that houses local, state and federal prisoners, we have very few problems. The citizens of Bradley County can consider themselves fortunate to have such high-level, professional law enforcement personnel on the job.

I am also pleased to tell you that the Tennessee Comptroller’s annual state audit of the BCSO has returned another positive report. The state auditors are comprehensive in their scope and attention to detail, going through our books with a fine tooth comb. We welcome them each year and do all we can to accommodate them. I am glad to say there were no adverse findings again this year. I have been adamant about operating the Sheriff’s Office in the open. We have been consistently transparent in our town hall meetings, web site, pod casts and open-door policy. The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is probably the most transparent operation in the county and we will continue to be accessible and accountable throughout the coming year.

If there are any non-profit, charitable or public service organizations that would like to have benefit of our very successful Inmate Work Program, contact us here at the Justice Center. Not only is this program a great benefit to the environment and big savings to taxpayers, it is also a morale builder for the inmates themselves. Many of the people incarcerated in the jail are appreciative of an opportunity to give something back to the community rather than languishing in a small cell. The program allows them to get out into the fresh air and use their time constructively. And some can even earn credits which go toward off-setting their sentences. I will speak more about the program next week, but it is just another positive way the BCSO is serving the citizens of Bradley County.

The next couple of weeks will see many people on the road, visiting friends and family around the region, the state and the country. It is a blessing to spend time with loved ones and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. While I do not personally advocate drinking because of the potential of abuse, alcoholism and other negative ramifications, I understand many people do indulge in alcoholic beverages. If you are one of them, do not attempt to drive while drinking. I can promise you now that receiving jail time and a DUI on your record will definitely ruin your holidays.

 A lot of attention is being paid this holiday season to news reports that unemployment is up, economic growth is down and the country has entered into a recession. Certain media commentators present the situation as being “dire” and warn of a “looming economic calamity.”

Well, all is not bad. On a more positive note it should be said our country has weathered financial downturns and “dire” economic times before, and I believe we will again. This period of fiscal uncertainty will pass and the U.S. will recover. We should not be fearful. We will all be better served by toughening things out. In time, the economy will rebound, new jobs will be created, industry will adjust to more profitable business models and I believe our great nation will emerge stronger than ever. It is inevitable that things like the current economic situation will happen from time to time. And tough times make us stronger.

Amidst the hand-wringing of the Chicken Little sky-is-falling crowd, there are many bright spots, such as the fact that the price of gas at the pump is lower than it has been in years. That is a good thing. And consider the fact that the big local news story this week concerned the possibility of a large unnamed industry coming to Bradley County which, according to published reports, would bring 500 to 600 new jobs into our area. And don’t forget the fact that Volkswagen is building a new manufacturing plant just down the road that will further impact our community in a positive way with increased career opportunities, not to mention the attendant support businesses that will spring up around the new plant. So, even though some industries are restructuring and some jobs have been lost, it looks like help is on the way and we will continue to have growth in our particular region.

During this holiday season ~ and throughout the year ~ let’s not be fearful of the future. Let’s be positive and count our blessings. Here at the BCSO we have operated on a bare-bones budget for years. And even so, we have been extremely effective in doing our job. At this point, the BCSO will be able to maintain the current level services within our existing budget. As is normal, we may have to shift some money from one area to another, but no new money in our overall budget will be needed. Through effective management strategy and techniques, we anticipate returning some money to the county’s General Fund at the end of the budget year. This, too, is good news.

In a county as richly blessed as ours, it is easy to become complacent and take our many comforts for granted. But at heart, I believe Americans are tough, resourceful and pragmatic (particularly here in Bradley County). All is not bad. There are many positive things happening in our community.

I would also like to inform you that the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is stepping up patrols in both marked and unmarked vehicles. And, in keeping with our policy of partnering with the community, we ask for your help in identifying any suspicious activity that you see occurring on your street or in your neighborhood. If you have information regarding illegal activity, you can contact me at 4237287300, or our Criminal Investigations Division at 4237287306. I also encourage everyone to take basic precautions such as locking vehicles and doors and making it more difficult for criminals to gain access.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.