WilsonCoTNSheriff.com The Wilson County Sheriffs Department Has a New Website Go to http://wcso95.org/ For a number of years this was the official website of the Wilson County Sheriffs Department. Content is from the site's 2001 archived pages. If you have inadvertantly ended up here while searching for the Wilson County Sheriffs Department in Lebanon, Tennessee, their current website is found at: http://wcso95.org/ Wilson County Sheriff's Office Circa 2001 105 East High Street Lebanon, Tennessee 37087 TERRY ASHE, SHERIFF The Sheriff is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in the County by State Statute. His responsibilities includes law enforcement, administration of the Jail, which includes being Superintendent of the Work House, and security of the Courts. Law enforcement covers a large scale of duties, including: prevention and investigation of crimes on persons and property, service of civil and criminal warrants, and patrolling of county and state roadways. Responsibilities of the Jail also covers a broad area of duties, which include: housing of misdemeanor and felony prisoners, and supervision of the Work House and inmate garden. The Sheriff's Department has 150 sworn officers and patrols approximately 583 square miles, with a estimated population of 95,000 citizens, and does not included the thousands of persons who travel through Wilson County on a daily basis for work, shopping, and recreation. The Wilson County Sheriffs Department and Jail is located in the Wilson County Criminal Justice Complex. Dispatch: 615-444-1412 Fax: 615-444-WCSO (9276) Jail: 615-444-5686 Narcotics Division: 615-444-1459 Fax: 615-453-6056 Detective Division: 615-444-1459 Fax: 615-453-3406 Crime Stoppers: 615-444-5245 The purpose of the Wilson County Sheriffs Department Criminal Investigations Division is to investigate crimes in Wilson County. These crimes are committed against persons, property, and society, and include: Arson, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Gangs, Intelligence, Narcotics, Missing Persons, Murder, Rape, Robbery, Theft, and Vandalism. The unit is comprised of thirteen detectives. ADMINISTRATION The Wilson County Sheriffs Department Administration consists of the following: Sheriff Terry Ashe Chief Deputy Larry Bowman Captain Terry Davis, Patrol Adm. Captain David Hementolor, Corrections Captain Cheryl Henry, Corrections Captain Gary Keith, Courts, Warrants, Training, SRO's Captain Lance Howell, Narcotics Captain Don Hamblen, Criminal Investigations Lt. Bob White, Technical Advisor Sgt. Beverly Tobler, Terminal Agency Coordinator Pet Lancaster, Administrative Secretary Joan Wright, Secretary/Purchasing Barbara Bates, Criminal Investigations Secretary WILSON COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS offers a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of persons involved in a crime, recovery of stolen property, and other serious crimes posted on this site or by the media. Callers wishing to remain anonymous will be issued a secret code number. Upon an arrest or recovery being made the caller can collect the reward. Anyone having information about a crime in Wilson County should call CRIME STOPPERS at 615-444-5245. NARCOTICS UNIT In 1985, Sheriff Terry Ashe was instrumental in forming the 15th Judicial Drug Task Force. This was a very successful program that covered a large geographical area of the 15th Judicial District. In 1996, Sheriff Terry Ashe created the Wilson County Sheriff's Department Narcotics Unit to combat the increased trafficking of illegal narcotics in Wilson County. The Narcotics Units goal is to identify, infiltrate, arrest, and prosecute Drug Offenders. This is accomplished by a combined effort of the Citizens in Wilson County, Law Enforcement, and the Judicial System working together. Citizens provide needed information to identify these offenders. Law Enforcement follows up on this information and attempts to infiltrate the drug network. Law Enforcement then makes arrests upon the persons identified as offenders. The final step is prosecution, and this is accomplished by the States Attorney General working with our Judicial System. Often times, drug investigations are a long process and take many man hours. If you have information on drug trafficking in Wilson County please call the Sheriff's Department's Narcotics Unit at 615-444-1412 or CRIMESTOPPERS at 615-444-5245. CRIMINAL WARRANTS DIVISION The Criminal Warrants Division is comprised of two full-time certified officers. Their duties include the service and arrest of individuals based on felony or misdemeanor warrants. These warrants are issued by either the Wilson County Court System, or a Judicial Commissioner. The Criminal Warrants Division also assists other agencies in the apprehension of individuals residing in Wilson County. LAKE PATROL In 1982 Sheriff Terry Ashe created the Wilson County Sheriffs Lake Patrol. Lake Patrol officers cover as many as ten lake accesses up and down Old Hickory Lake and the Cumberland River. Several of these recreation areas are some of the most heavily visited in the state. The Lake Patrol utilizes a 17 foot Hydra Sport outboard, that is law enforcement equipped. The Lake Patrol's main focus is water safety and public awareness. The public will mainly see Lake Patrol officers during the holidays and during heavy periods of water traffic. ~~~ An Aside: My folks have lived near Lebanon ever since I graduated from college. I still fly into Nashville and then drive to their home which is located on the Cumberland River. I always enjoy visiting the Cedars of Lebanon State Park or going to the Wilson County Fair which is probably one of Lebanon's biggest attractions. This past year I had to help my mother convince my father that is was time to try a new approach to control his excessive drinking. I had found a new program online that had a dfferent approach to how to quit drinking via pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The pharmacotherapy included a medication I had never heard about. However doctors in Europe have been prescribing baclofen as the primary treatment for people who drink excessively. Unlike 12 step programs in the US that require abstinence such as AA , doctors in Europe are treating excessive drinking not as a disease, but as a symptom of larger psychological issues. Compare that to how the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD: a “chronic relapsing brain disease”. Baclofen removes or strongly suppresses cravings for alcohol in 92% of people with some initial clinical trials showing that Baclofen has a 65% success rate for treatment-resistant alcoholics. The LifeBac program I was going to suggest is accessible online. I thought my father would not be so resistant to trying the program since this treatment doesn’t require abstinence. I thought that the combination of medication (baclofen) to remove cravings along with behavior changes via psychotherapy to rewire one’s habits might be more successful than the old standard methods of complete abstinance. My father has had a couple of run ins with the Wilson County Sheriffs Department because of his drinking and my mother was terrified he would hurt himself and other people if he was driving and drinking. Well it's 8 months later and my father has had a positve reaction to his LifeBac program. His drinking is under control and we are actually planning to go hiking at the Cedars of Lebanon State Park. One of the Wilson County Sheriffs and his wife dropped by recently to have dinner with my folks. I'm sure my mother was much happier seeing the sherrif for a social occasion, rather than because my father had been picked up because of his drinking. My mother said the sherrif was amazed at the difference with my father's behavior and wanted to know more about the LifeBac program. The news made me really happy. ~~~ PATROL DIVISION The Wilson County Sheriff's Department Patrol Divisions primary duties are the protection and service to citizens of Wilson County. The Patrol Division is dedicated to the safety of people and property county wide. Wilson County covers a large geographic area that is patrolled twenty-four hours daily. The Patrol Division also assists in the service of Criminal Warrants, Civil Process, and traffic control across Wilson County. The need to expand this area of the department grows every year with the amount of growth that Wilson County continues to enjoy. CORRECTIONS DIVISION WILSON COUNTY JAIL The Wilson County Jail is a 408 bed facility built in 1989, with a new additional added in 2007. The Sheriff has the huge responsibility of maintaining the Jail to keep certification. Since 1984, the Wilson County Jail has been State Certified. The facility houses maximum, medium, and minimum prisoners. The facility also has special needs, medical, and detoxification cells. The Wilson County Jail is staffed with sworn correction officers, two Licensed Practical Nurses, and three cooks. The Jail is equipped with a secured sally-port for loading and unloaded prisoners. The security of the Jail is maintained by a central control tower in the center of the complex, which is monitored 24 hours a day. The facility offers a Commissary, AA meetings, Church Services, and Bible Study weekly. A detachment of the Wilson County Jail is the Wilson County Workhouse Commission. The Sheriff is the superintendent of the Workhouse. The department receives a State Litter Control Grant grant each year. The department has two work crews that work up to 16 inmates daily. Some of the projects of the Workhouse include trash pickup on county roads and boat ramps; maintenance and trash pickup at the Agricultural Center; other projects for local civic non-profit organizations; and the inmate garden. The State of Tennessee has recognized this Work House program as one of the best for its size in Tennessee. COURT DIVISION The Court Division of the Wilson County Sheriff's Department is comprised of eight sworn officers. Their primary duties are maintaining a safe environment in the Criminal and Civil Courts of Wilson County including: General Sessions - Divisions I & II; Circuit Court - Divisions I & II; Criminal Court, and Chancery Court. The Court Division also maintains the security in the Wilson County Court House and the Criminal Justice Center. The Court Division also assists in the transporting of prisoners to and from the courts and other locations state wide. They also assist other divisions of the Sheriff's Department when needed. CIVIL PROCESS DIVISION The Civil Process Division is comprised of five full-time sworn officers. Their primary duties are the service of civil warrants county wide to the inhabitants and officers living in Wilson County. These warrants cover Orders of Protection, Subpoenas, Evictions, Court ordered Property Repossession, and other warrants related to Civil Law. They also assist other agencies state wide locating and serving Civil Process on individuals who reside or work in Wilson County. The Wilson County Sheriff's Department served 12,856 civil warrants in the year 2000. BOOKING AREA COMMISSIONER MAXIMUM SECURITY A.F.I.S. INMATE GARDEN SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM S.R.T. In June 2001, Sheriff Terry Ashe created the first Special Response Team at the Wilson County Sheriffs Department. Currently the team is comprised of twelve members, which include one Emergency Medical Technician and one Paramedic. The team also includes a Sniper and Observer. The team has been trained to handle such events as a major school incident to a terrorist attack. The team has also been trained on jail extractions should the need ever arise. Team members have received special training on handguns, shotguns, sub-machine guns, chemical weapons, and weapons of mass destruction, including biological weapons and explosives. WILSON COUNTY & LEBANON SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDS OF EDUCATION & WILSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM (SRO) WHAT IS A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER? A School Resource Officer (SRO) is a certified police officer who is assigned full-time to a school. All SRO'S are certified by the National Association of School Resource Officers and receive ongoing specialized training. The SRO is similar to a "Community Oriented Police" Officer who is a member of the community he or she serves and is aware of the special needs of his community. The SRO is a person students and parents can turn to offer help. A person they can respect and depend upon. A person with real answers. The SRO Program was first implemented in Flint, Michigan in 1951. Since the program's inception it has successfully been put into practice in 35 states. While there are no nationwide statistics to reflect the number of young people SRO'S have guided away from delinquency; the general consensus of people familiar with the program is that SRO'S have proven to be a valuable, positive force in the lives of the school community, the SRO, faculty, staff and students can truly work together to build safer schools. RESPONSIBILITIES OF SRO'S LAW ENFORCER INSTRUCTOR ADVISOR INSTRUCTOR SRO'S visit classrooms to make presentations of a law related nature such as Drug Education, Police and their role in society, the history of Law Enforcement and other related topics. SRO'S are also available as a resource for teachers in developing specialty programs tailored to specific units of study, court procedures, citizenship, self-esteem, forensic science, etc. Through classroom instruction, students gain a better understanding of the police and the importance of laws to a society. LAW ENFORCER Working with school administrators, SRO'S investigate criminal violations which involve student's knowledge that investigations of criminal incidents will be conducted is in itself a deterrent to delinquent behavior - a primary goal of the program. Security and safety within the school are other concerns of SRO's. They evaluate situations and make recommendations to school administrators in reference to safety issues in the schools. the mere presence of an officer helps deter unwanted persons from frequenting campuses. It also serves as notice to students that contraband, such as weapons and illegal substances, will not be tolerated at school. ADVISOR Students are encouraged to seek the personalized attention of SRO'S. Each officer is specially trained to conduct informal, individual or group discussions. SRO'S are available for conferences with students, parents and faculty members regarding law related problems and crime prevention techniques. SRO'S are familiar with various social services and local community resources that are available for referral. ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES The involvement of SRO'S extends far beyond the classroom and normal workday. Officers participate in parent teacher and faculty meetings, student social and sporting events, and club projects. The presence of SRO'S tends to strengthen the student/police bonds and shows the officers' commitment to the student, their education and safety. SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS Are not school disciplinarians. An SRO takes collective action against students only when there is a perceived violation of law. Promote a better confidential source of our laws; why they were enacted and their benefits. Serve as a confidential source of counseling to students concerning problems they face, especially as they relate to the law. Serve to protect the school environment and maintain an atmosphere where teachers feel safe to teach and students feel safe to learn. Conduct classroom presentations on a variety of law related education issues. Help young people make more positive choices in their lives. Work with parents, students, educators and the community to build safe schools. Explorer Program The Wilson County Sheriff's Explorer Program began in the fall of 2000 with six members. To date the program has 25 active members. The Explorer Program is designed for young men and women ages 14 - 18 who are interested in law enforcement as a career. The Explorer Program reaches out to many young people to learn various police tactics, patrol procedures, drug detection, search and seizures, DUI detection, self defense, firearms safety and many other law enforcement topics. The explorers also learn to camping, canoeing, caving, and wilderness survival skills. Each year explorers take a trip to Gatlinburg to snow ski. Many of these outdoor activities teach these young people discipline, self respect, teamwork, and being able to reach their fullest potential. The explorers go canoeing down the Buffalo River in Linden, Tennessee at least three times a year, go caving in McMinnville at least twice a year, and camp various time through the year. The wilderness survival trip is held each year at Camp Boxwell Reservation. Explorers become dependant on themselves and each other, having to make their own shelter and cook their own meals. The Sheriff's Department also sponsors Boy Scout Troop #385. This provides younger children ages 10 1/2 - 13 with the same experiences the explorers receive. In the summer of 2004 the Wilson County Sheriff's Department hosted its first ever Explorer Academy. Fifty two youth from our program, along with Gallatin and White House Police Departments participated. The week long academy was designed to train the participants as police officers. Much was expected from each cadet. Each day cadets were required to exercise and run. They participated in many team building games and exercises, as well as learning about law enforcement and its purpose in the community. The 2009 Explorer Academy is set for June 21st through the 26th at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. This year the cadets will be spending the night and participating in many night training drills. The Explorer Program and Scout Troop are supervised and conducted by Deputy Greg Lasater and Deputy Pete Mecher. If you are interested in more information please contact us at 615-444-1412 or 615-351-7530. SCAN Senior Citizens Awareness Network Project SCAN is... The Senior Citizens Awareness Network (Project SCAN) is a new program. SCAN has been developed by the Wilson County Sheriff's Office in cooperation with University Medical Center. A Partnership... Public Service organizations like the Wilson County Sheriff's Office have come to recognize the older citizen represents both a valuable community resource and a unique constituency with very specific needs. SCAN strives to provide an opportunity for citizens to become involved in public service while helping meet the needs of this growing population. An Opportunity to Serve... Project SCAN Officers are uniformed representatives of the Sheriff's Office. SCAN Volunteers go into the community to check on the safety and security of older citizens who have enrolled in the program. SCAN Officers drive to the homes of these citizens making personal contact, providing home security surveys, crime prevention information, and agency referrals. Additionally, SCAN Volunteers will assist local law enforcement as community based partners, reporting crime and emergency situations to E-911. If you want to receive SCAN Services or wish to refer someone for SCAN services, please contact the Wilson County Sheriffs Department at 615-444-1412. If you would like to become a SCAN Volunteer, please contact Captain Gary Keith at 615-444-1412. A Message From Sheriff Ashe... Ensuring public safety requires a new partnership between law enforcement and the citizens we serve. By working together, we can effectively identify and solve issues in our community, reach out to our fellow citizens, and take decisive steps to prevent crime. Project SCAN offers you, the civic minded citizen, an opportunity to get involved and to make a difference. I encourage you to get involved in this program and make a difference. Sincerely, Terry Ashe, Sheriff BIOGRAPHY OF SHERIFF ASHE TERRY ASHE Sheriff Ashe was born in Wilson County, Tennessee. He was born November 22, 1948 to Joseph Henry Ashe and Audrey Clark Gregory. He was raised on a farm in the Tuckers Cross Road Community and later moved to Lebanon, Tennessee. He was a paper boy at age 10, and has been at public working since then. He was educated in the Wilson County/Lebanon School System. He was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1966 and served in Vietnam from 1967-1968. He later served his Country with the Tennessee National Guard. He later owned his own restaurant and a small farm, while working as a General Forman for the Robert Shaw Corp. In 1972 he entered Law Enforcement part-time and in 1974 full-time. He has worked as the Counties Chief Deputy, the City of Lebanon Chief of Detectives, and Sheriff of Wilson County since 1982. He is a Baptist and has one daughter, Jesse, who attends Lebanon High School. MILITARY SERVICE Served United States Army 101st Airborne Division Infantry Republic of Vietnam 1967-1968 Ft. Bragg N.C. 82nd Airborne Division Infantry 1968-1969 Tennessee Army National Guard 3/109 Armor Tank Division 1970-1978 MILITARY AWARDS 3 Purple Hearts 3 Bronze Stars 1 Air Combat Medal 1 Air Commendation Medal 1 Vietnam Cross of Gallantry 1 Vietnam Campaign Medal - 3 Stars 1 Vietnam Service Medal 1 United States Service Medal 1 Good Conduct 1 National Guard Service Medal Combat Infantry Badge U.S. Army Parachute Wing 2 President Unit Citations COMMITTEES Served on Tennessee Peace Officers and Standards Commission for 12 years, 2 years as Chairman. 1st Sheriff in the State to serve on the Governors Juvenile Justice Committee. Served as President of the Tennessee Sheriffs Association from 1985 - 1994. Chairman of the 15th Judicial District Drug Task Force 1987-1990. Served on the Emergency 911 Board 1998-Present Served on County Finance Committee 1991-1994. Former Chairman Wilson County Youth Ranch Board Governing Board - U.M.C. Hospital Board of Directors - Potter House CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS Exchange Club American Legion Veterans Foreign Wars Disable American Veterans American Cancer Society March of Dimes American Heart Association Leukemia Foundation Community Help Center Tennessee Sheriffs Association National Sheriffs Association Middle Tennessee Law Enforcement Executive Committee National Law Enforcement Executive Development Assoc. A.A.R.P. - Wilson County Chapter #5023 AWARDS Law Enforcement Officer of the Year - Citizens Club - 1981 Outstanding Service Award - Corps of Engineers - Nashville District - 1984 Sheriff of Year - Tennessee - 1986 Governors Award - Outstanding Tennessean - 1990 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year - Buford Pusser Foundation - 1996 Outstanding Alumni Award - Lebanon High School - 1998 Outstanding Service Award - Wilson Co Foster Care 1998-2000 Local Government Award - Senior Citizens Program - 13 Counties & 52 Cities 2001 EDUCATION A.A. Middle Tennessee State University B.S. Regent College - Presently working towards Master in Public Administration. Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy Basic School Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy Criminal Investigations National Institute of Justice - Graduate - 1992 Jail Management - Bolder, Colorado - 1995 Population Forecasting - Bolder, Colorado Federal Bureau of Prisons - Jail Certificate - 1994 - Dallas, Texas Certificate of Compliance - Sheriff - Tennessee - Peace Officer Standard Committee Federal Bureau Investigation Academy, Quantico, Virginia Instructor - Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy - 6 Years - Crime Scene Investigations Certificate of Compliance - Sheriff - Tennessee - Peace Officer Standard Committee - Phase II License - Real Estate - State of Tennessee - 1994 WilsonCoTNSheriff.com