This past week, the BCSO launched our first ever “All Hands On Deck” campaign, where all deputies with the rank of lieutenant and above hit the streets to spend their Saturday on patrol, meeting and speaking with the citizens of Bradley County, handing out business cards, backing up deputies and just generally looking for better ways to serve the community.

The reason I implemented this project was simple ~ I want high ranking deputies to occasionally get out from behind their desks and get behind the wheel of a patrol car. I want them to maintain their connection with the community, with the day to day obligations of the rank and file patrol deputies, and find ways their divisions can better serve the citizens of Bradley County.

I routinely patrol the county and offer back up and assistance to deputies because I enjoy the hands on aspects of law enforcement. If I have the choice of sitting at a desk or working the field, I will choose the field every time. Chief Deputy Bill Dyer and I teamed up in one car so as to save fuel. I enjoy spending time with Chief Dyer because I respect his experience, intelligence and candor. I especially enjoyed watching him interact with the citizens of Bradley County during the "All Hands On Deck" program, receiving their suggestions and making note of their concerns. I know I made the right choice in selecting him as Chief Deputy. Thanks, Bill.

The response of the community was also very positive. People seemed genuinely glad to see us. We stopped by the farmers market, yard sales, private homes, folks on the street ... everywhere we went, we were met by people who were pleased that we were out and about in their neighborhoods. Several expressed a greater sense of security in having the BCSO show an interest in their area. I appreciate so many people supporting our efforts and passing information to us that we might not have otherwise received. According to TBI reports, Bradley County burglaries and thefts were down by 25 percent in 2007 over 2006, and we are continuing that trend. Some of our seniors feel like crime has gotten worse since they were youngsters and expressed their appreciation for what we are doing.

No one knows better what goes on in any particular neighborhood than the ones who live there. People see things in the community we don’t see. They are our eyes and ears and we want to have a positive relationship with them. It's that personal touch you can't get sitting in an office. We actually received a lot of helpful information and I will see that every tip we received will be looked into and followed up on. If you witness anything suspicious or out of the ordinary in your area, pick up the phone and call 728 7272; or if it is an emergency, call 911. Crime will never be completely eradicated, but we are working daily to keep it in check. "All Hands On Deck" is a good example of our efforts.

And the timing of the "All Hands On Deck" operation seems right, too, because the BCSO is just about to launch the Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative the beginning of August. Project Safe Neighborhood directly addresses the partnership between community and law enforcement. It is a great program and I will be talking more about it in weeks to come. Meanwhile, we feel "All Hands on Deck" was another success for the BCSO and will definitely be holding more events like this.

My thanks go out to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, The Chattanoogan web site and WDEF News 12 for their excellent coverage of the event. The Times Free Press even wrote a very positive editorial about it.

Moving on, I would like to acknowledge Deputy Daniel Marlow. He and Angela Sherlin were commended this past week by the Tennessee General Assembly for their part in saving the life of Angela’s father, Carl Sherlin, a few months ago. Deputy Marlow was quick to downplay his role in the rescue, saying that any deputy would have done the same given the situation.

In April, Mr. Carl Sherlin was working on his automobile when the car slipped and fell, pinning him to the ground. Angela was about to leave their home but said she felt a need to first say a few words to her father. When she went outside, she found her dad trapped under the weight of the automobile and quickly losing consciousness. In one of those extraordinary, adrenalin powered feats of strength most of us only read about, she actually lifted the car up enough for a neighbor to get a jack under it and for her oldest son, David, to drag Mr. Sherlin to safety.

That is when Deputy Marlow arrived on the scene. Angela said that when Deputy Marlow got there, her father was “already gone. He had quit breathing.” Deputy Marlow immediately began administering CPR and is actually credited with keeping Mr. Sherlin alive until emergency medical personnel arrived and he could be transported to the hospital. I am pleased that the Sherlins, Deputy Marlow and BCSO officials were acknowledged by a special resolution passed by the Tennessee General Assembly.

In almost all situations, no matter the emergency, BCSO deputies are the first to arrive on the scene. That is another reason why they need to be supplied with the training and equipment necessary to handle any type of emergency. And that is why I would like to see Automatic External defibrillators (AEDs) standard in all patrol cars. In fact, I think the purchase of AEDs for all BCSO patrol vehicles would be an excellent way to use some of that money the county received from the sale of the hospital. The cost of supplying AEDs to patrol deputies would be a small price to pay when measured against the lives that would be saved. I hope the Bradley County Commission will give the matter serious consideration.

Bradley County citizens can reach me by calling (423) 728 7300, or mailing me at: 2290 Blythe Ave., SE, Cleveland TN 37311. You can also email me directly at comments@bradleysheriff.com. I also welcome you to visit the BCSO website: www.bradleysheriff.com. There is a wealth of information at our website regarding the operations of the BCSO.