Sheriff: “We’re not going to tolerate any misconduct”
This video is no longer available.
JACKSON, Tenn. — Sheriff John Mehr said the Madison County Sheriff’s Department is in the beginning stages or restructuring. A day after Sylvia Anderson is fired from her position at the jail, he said some changes can be expected. Sheriff Mehr’s first major action in office was firing Lieutenant Sylvia Anderson who worked as a supervisor at the jail. He said it was due to an on-the-job incident last week. “We’re not going to tolerate any misconduct, especially putting somebody’s life or something in jeopardy but we expect our employees to work and just do what’s right,” Sheriff Mehr said. The sheriff would not go into detail about Anderson’s termination because he said the investigation is ongoing, but he did say they are making sure their department is structured the way it should be. “We’re trying to get policies, looking at policy and procedures that we’re going to implement, a work that’s in progress,” Mehr explained. A friend of Anderson’s family believes she should not have been terminated so quickly. “I can understand that him being sheriff, can do whatever he thinks best, but I’m just speaking from my heart, and looking at us, we’re all subject to making mistakes,” Hubert Mercer said. Sheriff Mehr said he expects his employees to treat everyone, especially the inmates they’re guarding, fairly. “We’ve got to treat them with respect and it’s a two-way street. You treat them with respect, they treat you with respect,” Mehr said, “And it’s setting the right example,” Last month, Anderson was suspended for two days after it was found she mistakenly released the wrong inmate in July. At this time, no criminal charges have been filed against Anderson.
