On Tuesday, August 26th, the Bradley County Commission’s Law Enforcement Committee brought up the need for extra court security at the main court house. I was a little surprised that the issue even came up because I have been very vocal about the need for greater court security ever since I took office in September of 2006.

The issue of court security was one of a number of public safety needs I addressed in a court petition filed in 2007, and it (along with all the other needs I mentioned) was rejected by the court. I won’t belabor the point here because I have addressed it a number of times in the past. However, you can view the response I made to the Law Enforcement Committee last Tuesday by logging onto: http://bradleyondemand.com. The video is entitled “Serious Gaps in Security” (8-27-08). Court security is, and has always been, one of my greatest concerns and one I hope the County Commission will now begin to take a serious look at.

I am very pleased to announce we are currently accepting applications for the first Bradley County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy. Academy classes will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Classes begin on January 20, 2009, and will run through March 24th. The Citizens Academy is free, but class sizes will be limited to the first qualified applicants, so if you are interested, apply now. Applications will be accepted through December 1st.

The purpose of the Citizens Academy is to strengthen the partnership with the community and enhance public understanding as to the myriad aspects of the law enforcement experience, including Constitutional law, landmark case rulings, warrants, searches, domestic violence, use of force, criminal law, and numerous other issues that many are not familiar with. Citizens will have an opportunity to meet the BCSO Command Staff and deputies, tour the Justice Center, the 911 Center and the various divisions of the BCSO, and become acquainted with some of the programs within the BCSO designed to further protect and educate youngsters, such as the SRO program, the Explorers and LEAF Academy.

Criminal history checks will be done on all applicants before they will be accepted into the class. The Citizens Academy is not open to anyone with a felony conviction. You can download an application packet for the Citizens Academy at the BCSO web site, or pick one up here at the Justice Center. If you would like further information, call Lt. Eddie Scoggins (423-728-7330) or Sgt. Gwen Beavers (423-728-7319).

I will also mention that we currently have four unfilled job openings in Corrections. We are accepting applications now for the next pre-employment testing session scheduled for September 9th, so if you would like to begin the application process, fill out and return an employment application as soon as possible. We routinely accept job applications and keep them on file for a one year period or until openings become available in Patrol, Corrections and Administration. I encourage everyone who may be considering a career position with the BCSO to visit our web site and read up on our hiring criteria. I have implemented stringent hiring requirements in an attempt to attract the best and brightest. We have reduced turnover here at the BCSO by securing a better starting salary and working toward better incentives. Low turnover saves taxpayers the expense of re-training and re-outfitting and other such costs. As we attract and retain more career-oriented deputies, we continue to build a more experienced, professional law enforcement agency.

I am proud of the many hard working, dedicated deputies we already have who are out every day, all day, patrolling and protecting Bradley County, solving and preventing crime. I want to raise the bar even higher. That is why I fight so hard on the behalf of our deputies: for better wages, merit pay, incentive packages and the safest equipment and technology we can acquire. The citizens of Bradley County deserve the best law enforcement the Sheriff’s Office can provide. In turn, our deputies deserve the best working conditions we can provide.

Lastly, mark your calendars for Saturday, October 11, for this year’s annual Sheriff’s Family Day. We will hold this event outside at Stuart School from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. This is a free event with a strong anti-drug, pro-community message. Family Day features live music, food, air toys, games, horseback rides, exhibits, door prizes, giveaways and much more. We just heard from Life Force this week and they said they will be coming in for a landing one again and opening the helicopter up for display. This was a tremendous success last year and we’re hoping for an even bigger event this year. All are invited and it’s all free. If you are part of a non-profit public safety or community-oriented organization and would like to reserve space for a booth, call J.M. Leonard at 423-728-7321 to see if you qualify.

As ever, I encourage everyone to visit the BCSO web site to stay informed about important issues relevant to all Bradley County citizens. If you would like to contact us, you can call (423) 7287300, or write: 2290 Blythe Ave., SE, Cleveland TN 37311. You can email me directly at: comments@bradleysheriff.com