Dekalb Co. Sheriff Nick Welden Addresses County Commission About School Safety

The Dekalb County Commission held its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 13, 2019.

The Commission, through executive order, declared today, August 13, 2019, as Luther and Billie Townson Day. The couple celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary on July 4, 2019, and the Commission presented the couple with a resolution of this declaration.

Dekalb County Sheriff Nick Weldon addressed the Commission and discussed school safety. Sheriff Weldon stated, “We put our youth first in everything we’ve done at the sheriff’s office.” He told the Commission the sheriff’s department had raised money to purchase a K-9 dog for use in the county schools and Fort Payne City School systems. Each county school campus has its own SRO officer on campus and there is also an SRO supervisor that moves throughout the county, between school campus’. The sheriff’s department has added a First Net Communications System, which is setup in branches. The SRO officers are a certain division within the sheriff’s office and this allows for automatic communications within the schools, if something happens. The sheriff’s department doesn’t have to rely on getting information out to a radio to get to someone, this system allows for direct connect to every SRO and every single responding agency at one time.

In other business, the Commission approved the follow:

• The Commission approved Federal Highway Grants for repairs on Old 35 (CR 835) and CR 85 from the slides on those mountain gaps. Total costs on CR 835 is around $600,000 with 90% of the costs being reimbursed with federal funds. Total costs on CR 85 is about $215,000 with 90% being reimbursed with federal funds.
• Passed resolutions for speed limits on CR 853 (20mph) and CR 126 (35mph)
• Concurred with ALDOT bid for resurfacing CR 116 with Wiregrass Construction for about $1,168,000 with 80% being paid from federal aid funds through ALDOT.
• Accepted resignation of Sebastian Gamez and termination of Tabitha Franklin in the County Jail.
• Transferred Beau Cagle from part-time SRO to full-time SRO (with BOE paying difference in pay). Gary Bowen was transferred from part-time Courthouse (CH) Security to part-time SRO at Collinsville. Thomas Underwood was transferred from part-time SRO at Collinsville to part-time court house Security.
• Approved training for Scott Tarrant to attend Law Enforcement training and Chief Deputy Brad Greg and PIO Tyler Pruett to attend the ACCA Sheriff Training.
• The 9^th Judicial Circuit Multi-Jurisdicitional Drug Task Force disbanded on July 31^st (this was made up of the Sheriff’s Office, DA’s Office and Fort Payne Police Department). The assets are being split between the agencies with Fort Payne receiving 4 vehicles and the DA’s Office receiving 4 vehicles and they are selling 2 vehicles and splitting the funds.
• Hired Judy Jones as Senior Manager at Collinsville (replacing Maria Garza).
• Appointed Commissioner Lester Black to the TARCOG Board.