Sheriff Jim Hammond said Friday that if there is a merger of local law enforcement, he "feels very strongly" that the sheriff's department should be the lead agency.
He said he was "somewhat taken aback" by remarks by Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield indicating that the city police "set the standard" for law enforcement.
Sheriff Hammond said, "I have been greatly impressed with the professionalism at the sheriff's office. There is not a dime's worth of difference between the sheriff's department and the Chattanooga Police Department in professionalism and training."
Mayor Littlefield in his State of the City Address urged the merger of various city and county agencies, including law enforcement.
Sheriff Hammond said the sheriff is a constitutional officer and "in a merger you still would have to pay for a sheriff."
He said the sheriff is constitutionally mandated to keep the jail, but also to provide law enforcement for the county.
Sheriff Hammond said despite the merger talk "I think the people are pretty happy with what they have now."
He said there would not be any immediate savings with a merger.
He noted that city police officials say they are 50 officers short, and he said the sheriff's department could use at least 10 more officers - and up to 20 more - on patrol.
Sheriff Hammond said he hears remarks that "the sheriff just knows how to run the jail, but not law enforcement. Well, that is definitely not the case in Hamilton County."