LISA HOBBS - News Editor
Warren County Corrections Partnership met Tuesday, Sept. 8, and elected Commissioner Randy England as its chairman.
Immediately following that decision, Commissioner Charles Dotson was elected vice chairman and Commissioner Chris Rippy as secretary.
Sheriff Jackie Matheny Jr. stated that the jail population on that day was 202: 159 males and 43 females. There are 20 Tennessee Department of Corrections inmates being housed locally and four parole violators.
“If TDOC would take all theirs, we would be minus 24 of the 202,” Matheny added.
Among other discussions, members were informed about a Cougar (MRAP), which stands for a mine-resistant ambush-protected. It was acquired by the sheriff’s department and is an infantry mobility vehicle structured to be resistant to landmines and improvised munitions.
“That is a good vehicle for situations like we had the other night,” said England, of the man who barricaded himself in his apartment. “We realized after the fact that we needed a ram rod put on the front of it. Something we can ram with. Murfreesboro has a setup like that. I’m not going to say it’s an identical machine, but it’s pretty close. After that incident happened, Jackie called me. The school [TCAT] is going to try to build something.”
England says the students are excited about the challenge.
Commissioners Stephen Potter and Caleb Graves are also on the County Corrections Partnership Committee.