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Sheriff's office reports fewer school-related criminal charges, details community policing and budget requests
Summary
Captain Jeff Abrams and Chief Deputy Dwayne Depp told the fiscal court the School Resource Officer (SRO) program saw fewer contacts and a 35% reduction in criminal charges year-over-year, highlighted community outreach, narcotics task force work, and requested routine budget approvals; court approved sheriff budget items in voting session.
Captain Jeff Abrams gave the court an annual update on the county's School Resource Officer program, saying deputies and SROs are focused on relationship-building and prevention as much as enforcement. Abrams summarized two years of SRO data and noted a reduction in total contacts from 285 in 2023 to a lower number in 2024, and he highlighted a roughly 35% reduction in criminal charges handled by SROs in the most recent reporting period.
"We want to do 0 police activity," Abrams said, framing the goal as prevention rather than punishment while emphasizing rapport-building with students. He described numerous community events, appreciation notes from students, and SRO involvement in extracurricular events that have helped deputies build trust with children across elementary, middle and high schools.
Chief Deputy Dwayne Depp reviewed broader sheriff's office accomplishments in 2024: community outreach (fishing derbies, trunk-or-treat, ring-the-bell charity events), partnerships (Kentucky State University campus patrol support, DEA task force participation), narcotics investigations and seizures, promotions within criminal investigations, improved fleet condition and audits. He said fee services and grants (including a Kentucky Highway Safety grant paying a deputy's salary and DEA task force resources) are helping operations and that the sheriff was not seeking additional funds from fiscal court beyond budgeted items.
The court then considered and approved multiple sheriff-related budget items during the voting session, including the sheriff's participation in the state advancement program, the sheriff's lump-sum fee budget, and an annual order setting deputy and assistant maximum amounts for calendar year 2025. Magistrates and attendees offered praise for the SRO program and recognized awards won by deputies.
The presentation and approvals underscore the court's support for school-based deputies while also flagging continued emphasis on transparent reporting and collaboration between county government, schools and law enforcement.
