Rutherford County commissioners raised concerns on Nov. 24 about personal safety and security at committee meetings and asked the sheriff’s office to examine options and report back.

A commissioner said some members have felt uncomfortable because of social‑media visibility and controversial agenda items. Sheriff’s representatives said deputy presence is standard at full commission meetings and can be arranged for committee meetings if a chairman requests a deputy in advance, but that covering all committees with a deputy would require additional overtime and staffing.

The group discussed practical options including asking the chairman to notify the sheriff’s office when a contentious topic is expected, possible written guidelines to formalize that practice and consideration of facility measures such as signage or keycard access. A commissioner noted that signs (for example, a clear‑bag policy) without enforcement would be ineffective unless deputies were assigned to implement them.

The committee asked the sheriff’s office to perform a security assessment and report options at a future meeting; no immediate policy was adopted. The sheriff’s office agreed to prepare a report and coordinate with the steering committee on drafting a guideline that would allow chairmen to request deputy presence when warranted.