Sheriff Jim Ruth’s weekly column…

A State of Readiness

It seems that Bradley County is about 1 to 2 years behind the large cities and counties of the east in trends, as they relate to crime. I have not done a study, but this is simply from a personal observation thru the years. This includes drug use, gang activity, crimes of violence, and fraud, etc.

It is likely that with the availability and increased use of cell phone some trends will develop much more quickly these days. Some miscreants, with the use of these modern cell phones, have been able to summon hundreds or even thousands of people in a very short time to disrupt traffic and commerce, etc. --- They call it a "flash mob." These type mobs turn nasty and do a lot of property damage.

Some folks do not like for people like me to talk about the possibilities of losing our grip and the thugs running at large in our streets. --- Well, as I have said before, there are shootings, stabbings and other violent acts taking place daily, just 20 – 25 minutes south of us.

I feel the threat is very real. As Sheriff I must keep vigil to see that we remain a safe community. Our uniformed deputies must always be nearby to our residents, so they can respond very quickly to any emergency. Even a minute delay can mean whether a person will live or die.

The deputy is in harm’s way everyday whether he is working traffic, serving warrants and civil papers or answering a disturbance call. The plain clothes deputy is in harm’s way as he works an investigation. The corrections officer is in harm’s way everyday as he feeds and cares for all types of prisoners or when prisoners are transported to and from court.

--- A state of readiness during every hour of every day must be maintained. The administrative officers must always have an eye for what may be coming down the road. They must have the knowledge and wisdom to discern potential problems and know how to counter the threats to Bradley Counties’ peace and tranquility.

Keeping the neighborhoods and businesses safe is not a small task. While the public sleeps or while they play the deputy must always be there on the job. During any crisis or emergency we must be prepared. This preparation takes place up front, as we train, and as we gain experience thru various incidents. --- We build on that knowledge, as we study what we did right and what we did wrong.

Then, with this experience and knowledge, as we study problems that are happening in other areas we are able to make plans for the next budget cycle. What kind of equipment are we going to need? How many people will we need? How will they be deployed? How flexible can we be in the assignment of personnel and equipment?

Our planners are fully aware of the economic times. Thankfully, they are, also, aware of the very real threat to our way of life concerning personal safety and keeping the peace.

Our budget proposals will reflect that your Sheriff’s Office will be bold and aggressive, as we meet the challenges of this century. --- I believe anything less will lead to failure. Our community cannot afford to risk failure, as has happened in other areas.

--- Thanks for listening.

--- Thanks for your help!