Detective Diane Gilbert, Corporal Emmy Bates and Deputy Jennifer Meck attend “Breaking the Glass Shield” Conference

Three WCSO Officers Attend “Breaking the Glass Shield” Conference

Three Wilson County Sheriff’s Office deputies were selected to attend the recent “Breaking the Glass Shield” Conference hosted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol in Nashville.

The conference provides a forum for the female officers to be exposed to national recognized speakers and network with their peers from other states. More than 300 women from across the country and Canada attended, representing more than 70 agencies at this year’s training event.

Attending from WSCO were Detective Diane Gilbert, who joined the Office in September 1999; Corporal Emmy Bates, who began her career with WCSO in 2003; and Deputy Jennifer Mekelburg, who first started with the WCSO as a dispatcher in 2001.

“This Office felt honored to have this many fine women from our agency to attend this national event,” Sheriff Robert Bryan said. “All three are outstanding officers, and we are very proud of them. We hope to have even more attend the next conference.”

THP Major Betty Blair began the leadership training program in 2012 when she determined there are so few women in ranking positions in all State Police and Highway Patrol Agencies. Today, there are fewer than four percent in the Tennessee Highway Patrol, similar to all other states. There is only one female Colonel, Kriste Kibbey-Etue, Michigan State Police. Nationally, the average is 12-14 percent women in local agencies, Sheriff’s Departments and Police Departments.

“This motivated me to search for leadership training for women in law enforcement,” Maj. Blair said. “I was unable to find anything so, with Col. (Tracy) Trott’s approval and support, I developed our own.”

Maj. Blair said the majority of the classes consist of leadership training in addition to networking and other subjects. This year’s conference also featured several high-ranking law enforcement women addressing issues such the growing problems of human trafficking, critical incident stress debriefing and a judge’s perspective on law enforcement presented by Federal Court of Appeals Judge Julia Gibbons.

The biennial conference is open to all commissioned women in law enforcement in addition to support staff such as analysts, etc. Attendees received 16 hours of Peace Officers Standards Training (POST) for this year’s event.

An estimated 1,700 second graders are expected to learn all about rural farm work and life and how agriculture plays a vital role in our everyday lives during this week’s Farm Days.

The event, sponsored by the Wilson County Farm Bureau Woman, UT Agriculture Extension Office and Wilson County Soil Conservation will be held from 8:30-11a.m. and from 11:30-2 P.M. on Wednesday and Thursday at the James E. Ward Agriculture Center.

“It teaches them about rural living,” explained Wilson County Deputy Charles Hobson, who also raises cattle in addition to his law enforcement job. Hobson has participated in the event every year since it began 14 years ago. “The kids get to see animals, and experience things they may not see in everyday life.”

Diane Major, who works with Wilson County Soil Conservation, said the school children “get really excited” about the event, which includes second graders from all Wilson County Schools, Lebanon Special Schools District and some home-schooled and private school students who want to come.

Among the exhibits are farm animals (which children can touch), including goats, dairy and beef cattle, chickens, pigs, horses; a working-bee-farm; and a veterinarian who discuss how to care for the farm animals. There will be sheep-shearing, a rodeo cowboy in full dress costume. “They get all torn up about the cowboy,” Major added.

The Wilson County Farm Bureau will show the children grains and what kinds of products are made from wheat and corn seeds in addition to the importance of good nutrition and how farming is essential to healthy living. A master gardener will demonstrate gardening and present each child a seed to plant at home. The Soil Conservation employees will have a soil tunnel and explain why it’s important to conserve soil, etc.

Other exhibits include farm equipment and ATV safety. The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office will bring its mobile command center and allow children to look around. The Tennessee Highway Patrol will bring a patrol car and allow some children to get inside. LifeFlight will bring a helicopter, Hobson said, adding, “They will teach them how important it is in a rural area to have a way to get people to hospitals during an emergency.”

Major said the event began with about 700 children but that number has swollen to 1,700. “This is an all-volunteer event. We have approximately 200 volunteers who donate their times and resources to make this a success every year. We couldn’t do it without them.”

The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office is recognizing its front-line heroes during National Telecommunicators Week April 12-18.

“Although many people realize the importance of the crucial work telecommunicators do,” Sheriff Robert Bryan said, “it sometimes takes such tragedies as Sept. 11, 2001 to remind the public of the vital role our communications professionals play in life-or-death situations. We truly commend them for their work.”
During the week, the Sheriff’s Office hosted a luncheon for the communications staff and presented new jackets and door prizes as tokens of appreciation for their hard work and commitment to their duties.
“We are pleased to honor our rarely recognized men and women who save lives every day with their ability to calmly help others in many stressful and often dangerous situations,” Patrol Major Lance Howell added. “This is a just a small way to reflect on the role of 911 operators.”
Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to public safety telecommunications staff. The official name of the week was originally introduced by Congress in 1991 under the name “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.”
This is also a time to remind the public to always only dial 911 in cases of emergency. If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line and explain your mistake rather than hanging up. This often means dispatching resources to a perceived but non-existent emergency often tying up resources for true emergencies.
During the past year, dispatchers received 26,484 calls. Of those, 1,870 were hang-up calls. There were an estimated 2,069 burglar alarm calls and 1,197 auto property damage calls. The busiest days of the week were Friday (4,125) followed by Monday (3,937) and then Saturday (3,877).

Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy 2014 classes

Reminder: Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy Applications Due Soon

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like being inside or operating a jail, trying to decide whether to shoot or safely disarm a criminal suspect, how to be a dispatcher or just wanted to find out what it’s like to work for the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, the Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy is the place for you. The WCSO will be taking applications through Feb. 27 if you are interested in getting into a hands-on class.

Applications are currently being accepted for the 10-week course that meets from 6-9 p.m. every Tuesday at the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office located at 105 E. High St., Lebanon, TN. All applicants must pass a background check in order attend.

There are no minimum physical requirements, just a desire to learn more about law enforcement and get exposure to day-to-day aspects of the many facets involved in enforcing the law and assisting fellow citizens.

“This class helps to foster a better understanding between the citizens and the Sheriff’s Office,” said Wilson County Sheriff’s Sgt. James Lanier. “It familiarizes the citizens with how the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office operates. This course shows how different the Sheriff’s Office is from the other law enforcement offices in Wilson County, how much more responsibility the Office has compared to other agencies.”

Some of the classes include topics such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, domestic violence, patrol procedures, Schools Resource Officers, Civil and Criminal Warrants, DUI awareness, handcuffing procedures and other law enforcement functions. The course also includes hands-on activities, field trips such as a three-hour jail tour, a visit to the firing range, lectures by Communications dispatchers, a representative from the District Attorney’s Office, demonstrations in boating safety and the Office’s Special Response Team among other activities.

“The Citizen’s Sheriff’s Academy provides a unique interactive look at the scope of our county’s law enforcement,” said Sam Shallenberger, a graduate of the Citizen’s Sheriff’s Academy and President of the Academy’s Alumni Association. “I came away from the experience with the impression that the Sheriff’s Office is like an iceberg, with only a portion visible to the general public.  Sgt. Lanier established the Alumni Association so that graduates can continue to contribute and support the ongoing citizen education the academy offers.”

Sheriff Robert Bryan started the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy three years ago to offer the community and business people a voluntary opportunity to get a better understanding of and full exposure to the Sheriff’s Office. The upcoming fourth class is limited to 25 citizens. To apply, contact Elizabeth Anderson at wcso95.org or call at 615-444-1412, ext. 255.

Wilson County Sheriff’s Officers found and secured two methamphetamine lab cooking sites at a Wilson County business after receiving a tip from an employee at Roadrunner Transportation on January 6.

Upon arrival at the scene at 135 Maddox Drive, Deputies Sgt. Kyle Wright, Mike Warren, and Chris Brandenburg found two separate locations where methamphetamine had been cooked. The deputies secured the area and called methamphetamine lab technicians to quarantine the property in accordance with Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation state laws.

Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jeremy Reich, a member of the Tennessee Methamphetamine & Pharmaceutical Task Force, was originally called to the scene. Detective Reich asked Mike Justice, Director of Lebanon Public Safety, for assistance. Director Justice then dispatched a clandestine lab team to assist with the proper retrieval and disposal of a hazardous materials and chemicals. Director Justice’s team and W.E.M.A. were instrumental in ensuring all precautions and safety requirements were taken to prevent further exposure as required by state law. The property remains under quarantine. Detective Reich is continuing the investigation and upon completion will present all evidence pertaining to this case to the Wilson County Grand Jury for potential indictments related to narcotics.

Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan has been extremely proactive in his approach to the ever-growing and dangerous occurrences relating to Methamphetamine. Sheriff Bryan has been instrumental in assisting with developing a joint Wilson County Methamphetamine Task Force and has recently assigned several members of the Sheriff’s Department to this team. This is a multi-agency team, which was recently formed, includes the Lebanon Police Department and WEMA,

“We are proud of this new task force and appreciate the collaboration all of our county agencies have provided to combat this growing problem,” Sheriff Bryan said. “The team was very effective and professional.”

Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan congratulated West Elementary School for its overwhelming contributions to the Victim Awareness Month Toy Donation Drive to help children in traumatic events.

 When Francine Lustre with the Tennessee Department of Correction’s State Probation and Parole Department asked the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office to participate in the Toy Drive, the Sheriff’s Office placed a donation box in the main lobby and set up a poster asking for donations, then posted a photo on the Sheriff’s Office social media website. West Elementary School employees learned of the event through social media and began discussing with Wilson County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Joseph Bowen the possibility of helping.

 West Elementary School Principal Becky Siever immediately agreed to the idea, and employees set up three donation baskets in addition to placing posters advertising the event throughout the school. As a result, students and employees donated many more toys for the drive.

 “The Sheriff’s Office is so thankful for West Elementary School students and employees for taking the initiative to offer so much help with such an important program,” said Sheriff Bryan. “West Elementary School is teaching its students a valuable lesson in helping others through the kindness of giving back to the community.”

 September was Victim Awareness Month. Each year, the Office provides a collection area for the State Department of Probation and Parole. All the toys collected will go to law enforcement and fire department agencies throughout Wilson County to give to young victims in traumatic situations such as a traffic accident, crime or fire.

WCSO Resource Officer Bowen said the school donated more than he expected after an employee sent notes to parents about the charitable efforts. “I was extremely proud of these students who gave up so much to help other children feel better.”

The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in a blood drive.

When: Thursday, August 21st, 2014

At 105 East High Street, 2nd floor training room

Between 11:00 – 4:00

For online donor scheduling, go to www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: WilsonCountySheriff

*** UPDATE!!!   As of 08/11/2014

100% participation has been reached. Thank you!

After speaking with the Red Cross representative she advised that the blood supply is at a Crisis low. Because of the great need for donations the blood drive will be open to walk-ins, those with an appointment will be taken first, walk-ins will be subject to waiting.