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Madison County sheriff’s office reports increased enforcement, large drug seizures and falling overdoses in 2024
Summary
Sheriff’s office presented 2024 statistics showing higher calls for service and drug enforcement arrests, large seizures of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and a decline in confirmed overdose deaths relative to prior years; officials said federal task-force work and prosecutions drove long sentences for traffickers.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office presented a year-end overview to the fiscal court on Jan. 14, 2025, reporting increased calls for service, expanded drug enforcement activity and a decrease in confirmed overdose deaths compared with prior years.
Chief Deputy Tony Terry and Sheriff Mike Cole gave the briefing. Terry said the office recorded 33,610 calls for service in 2024 and 4,827 total citations (a category that includes civil papers and warrants). The sheriff’s office reported a substantial increase in DUI arrests — "78 DUIs this past year" — and an increase in drug arrests led by patrol units. Terry told the court patrol made 133 narcotics arrests, including 55 for methamphetamine, 29 for marijuana and smaller numbers for heroin and fentanyl.
Terry and the sheriff highlighted regional task-force and federal work that produced large seizures and longer federal sentences. County figures showed approximately 863 grams of fentanyl and 2.125 kilograms (4.6 pounds) of meth seized by local investigations; the DEA task force that includes Madison County partners reported larger regional totals including the seizure of 11 pounds of fentanyl and 86 pounds of meth across the task force’s broader area.
The sheriff credited federal prosecutions for long prison terms and said local overdose numbers declined: Jimmy Cornelison’s county data showed 34 confirmed overdoses in 2024, with 7 pending (likely 41 total), down from 69 confirmed overdose deaths in each of the previous two years. Sheriff Cole and Tony Terry linked the decrease in overdose deaths to enforcement, task-force work and local prevention efforts.
The sheriff’s office also reported operational metrics: 854 warrants served, 3,015 civil papers served, 585 evictions/vacates, roughly 4,954 vehicle inspections and 860 carry-concealed permit applications processed. The office reported 4 fatal collisions investigated in 2024 (down from six the prior year) and 75 canine activations among its K-9 teams.
Why it matters: Sheriff’s office leaders said federal task-force cooperation and sustained enforcement help remove supply from the community; they also noted the costs of running a fee-funded sheriff’s operation and said increases in revenue in 2024 helped offset budget needs.
Court discussion: Magistrates praised the agency’s work and raised a separate question about state police staffing trends and county funding implications. Magistrates asked sheriff’s leaders for numbers they can use when advocating in Frankfort for changes in state funding or resourcing.
Source excerpts: Presentation and remarks by Chief Deputy Tony Terry and Sheriff Mike Cole during the Jan. 14 meeting.
