Record number of new Madison Co. deputies join force
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MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Expect to see more Madison County cruisers on the streets as the sheriff’s department introduces a historic number of new deputies Monday. The new deputies were greeted Monday with a standing ovation from county commissioners. It’s a group Sheriff John Mehr said made history coming out of the academy and into the department. “Two was the most it had ever been,” Mehr told WBBJ Monday. “Most of the time it was only one, so to go from that up to nine at one time is a big milestone.” Mehr said the county raising wages in the department played a big role in bringing in more quality officers and that more deputies means better coverage for the county. “When we came in, midnight shift may have had two officers for the whole county,” Mehr said. “Now we’re going to have, eventually once we get to full staff, we’re going to have 11 for around the clock and so that’s very important.” The sheriff said adding these nine new deputies to the department is just another step forward for bringing Madison County to where he wants it to be. Those who live in the county told WBBJ it feels good knowing there’s more people out there trying to keep them safe. “I think it gives everybody peace of mind at nighttime and even the day time, especially areas where some may have more crime than others,” Madison County resident Logan Stewart said. “It feels really good that the county is going to make that kind of investment to make sure that the citizens are safe and allowing more patrol in our community,” Three Way resident Doug Johnson said Monday while mowing his lawn. Johnson said with all the recent scrutiny on law enforcement, he’s glad to see officers still taking the oath. “Law enforcement is what we need in this country and we need in this city right now,” Johnson said. “I really commend the guys that’s actually going to go through the academy.” Mehr said the hires were made with money already allocated in this year’s budget to bring in new deputies.
