With the start of 2015, I would like to thank all of the citizens for their continued support of all the hard work done by men and women of the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office.  The deputies of the RCSO continue to work hard in keeping the citizens of Rockdale County safe, and are credited for a second year in crime reduction at 20 % as compared to 2013.  The year 2014 was a busy year for the Sheriff’s Office in which we accomplished many goals which I set and I look forward to continuing to build the RCSO into a  21^st century law enforcement agency.

In the year 2015, a main focus for the RCSO will be to continue to build, foster, and strengthen community relations.  As Sheriff of Rockdale County, I am committed to a transparent, ethically operated law enforcement agency.   Throughout 2015, the RCSO has planned numerous community events throughout the county to foster trust, transparency, and build a community-oriented policing relationship within our county. I will continue to hold town hall meetings, not only in person, but also through virtual town hall meetings to hear the needs and concerns of the citizens.

In order for law enforcement to have the trust of the citizens, I believe that we must treat people fairly, ethically, and interact with the community on many different levels. The RCSO will continue to emphasize and build on community oriented policing throughout 2015. The RCSO plans to host many activities throughout the year for the citizens. The RCSO plans to hold block parties to bring neighbors together to partner and interact with our deputies.  We also wish to increase the number of neighborhood watch programs in the county. The RCSO will be offering two Citizens Sheriff’s Academy classes this year.  These academies are a great opportunity for citizens to understand the aspects of law enforcement and what a deputy sheriff faces each day.  Another popular class that we will continue to hold throughout the year is the gun safety class which allows the opportunity for firearm owners to be trained by qualified firearms instructors.

I am extremely proud and excited to announce that on April 25, 2015, the RCSO will be holding our first annual open house at the Sheriff’s Office.  The open house will allow everyone to get a behind the scenes tour of the RCSO and get a better understanding of the functions our deputies do every day. This is an event that will offer all of our citizens a great opportunity to come to the RCSO and tour the facilities, see demonstrations of RCSO equipment, see our K9s at work, tour the Jail and see a host of RCSO equipment in use to make and keep the county safe.

Since before taking office, I truly believed that the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office needed a program for troubled youth.  Later this year, I will be launching a program for troubled youth.   This program will allow troubled youth to not only see the  consequences of making bad decisions but receive mentoring from deputy sheriff’s to help get them on the right track.

Again this year the RCSO will be conducting a community survey in order to gain community insight related to RCSO professionalism, crime related perceptions in Rockdale, community concerns, and desired law enforcement services.  The survey will be open on February 1, 2015 and will close on March 1, 2015. Once the survey starts, it can be taken online or printed copies can be obtained from the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office located at 911 Chambers Drive.

The online version of the survey will be available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RCSO2015.  It can also be accessed from the RCSO website and the RCSO Facebook page.