POST investigator reports Bledsoe County has corrected uncertified-officer issues; commission accepts update

Investigator Rebecca Cantrell updated the Tennessee POST Commission on Sept. 19 about a multi-month inquiry into Bledsoe County practices involving uncertified deputies.

Cantrell said her May site visit found at least one noncertified deputy working alone in a school and identified three specific deputies named in the anonymous complaint. She told the commission she had obtained 911 dispatch records showing that some deputies were responding to calls by themselves. "Back in May, [I] made a visit over there and found a non certified officer at a school by himself," Cantrell said. She said the sheriff's office initially misinterpreted the rule that a noncertified officer must be in the same vehicle as a certified officer or an FTO, rather than merely being on the same shift.

Cantrell told commissioners the sheriff and agency leadership acknowledged the misunderstanding and have made “really good progress” on preemployment paperwork; at the time of her report only one or two files were still missing paperwork while the agency worked to complete them. When asked whether she would need to return for follow-up, Cantrell said she did not believe a return visit was necessary because the sheriff had recognized the issue and was taking steps to correct it.

Commissioner Green moved to accept the investigator's report; Commissioner Wright seconded the motion and the commission approved it by voice vote.

The update covered enforcement of POST rules on when uncertified officers may perform law-enforcement duties and focused on administrative compliance rather than allegations of criminal conduct. Cantrell recommended continued attention to preemployment documentation and clarified the specific rule interpretation that had been in error. The commission recorded acceptance of the report and no further formal disciplinary action was indicated in the transcript.