I would like to take this time to announce my candidacy for Sheriff of Hickman County. I pledge to you, the citizens of Hickman County, that I am here to serve the people. I will be accessible to everyone and will ensure my staff is as well. I pledge to current and future Deputies that I will be there working alongside you, leading from the front, so together we can have a more successful department with opportunities for growth and promotions while holding each other accountable for our progress.
I have lived in Hickman County for 52 years, playing sports with many of you along the way. I began my career with Hickman County Sheriff’s Office in 2004, continually serving here for the past 14 years. I have served as a patrol deputy, school resource officer, and currently am a shift sergeant. I was one of the founding members of the first-ever Hickman County SWAT team and was chosen as a field training officer. I have received my certification as a Law Enforcement Officer and serve as a Taser and Domestic Violence Instructor. I was awarded 2007 Officer of the Year.
I have experienced many aspects of this job. Each position is critical and plays a vital role in having a respected office. I believe that one of the key elements of a better department is community involvement.
My mother, Jean Bentley Smith from Wrigley, and father, Donald Lewis Coen, came to permanently live in Hickman County in 1973 after my father served 29 years in the US Army. My wife Melissa and I married in 1984, raising two children in Hickman County before she passed away from her battle with cancer. When I met Lee Ann and we married, two more beautiful children were brought into my life. I have three perfect grandchildren who visit often. I have a vested interest in seeing Hickman County grow and crime reduced, as this is where my roots are and I intend them to stay.
I look forward to meeting you and hearing how you believe the Sheriff’s Department can better ourselves and the community. In the coming days and months before the election, I will release detailed plans for change. I am committed to the community and dedicated to progress.
Please contact me with questions on my cell phone at 615-418-2460 or here on my Facebook page.
It would be my honor as well as my family’s honor to serve Hickman County as your Sheriff. I would appreciate your support & your vote. Thank you.
Source: Campaign Facebook Page
Your website and/or contact info?
Facebook Page
Personal Cell Phone: 615-418-2460
What is the job of the sheriff, in your own words?
TCA defines the Sheriff’s Job as “to patrol the roads of the county, to ferret out crimes, to secure evidence of crimes, and to apprehend and arrest criminals.” I plan to be that and much more for Hickman County. The most important role of the Sheriff is to be a leader. One who understands the needs of the community, the needs of those housed in his jail, and the needs of those that work for him, and to find an effective balance of each. I believe the most important role in the Sheriff’s Office is the Patrolman. The Patrolman has his hand directly on the pulse of the community, spending the most time with the average, law abiding citizen, whether they be a victim of a crime, or stopped for a simple traffic violation. During the last 16 years I have served in Hickman County as a Patrolman, whether it be on Patrol, in the Schools as a SRO, or as a Supervisor. I have felt the needs of the community and Sheriff’s Office, and I recognize a need for change. I plan to be a leader who surrounds himself with the best possible men and women, listen to them, respect their voices, and hold them accountable for their actions, rewarding them for their positive actions and correcting them when they stray. I will be a leader who continues to know what my employees are going through, I will spend time with my jailers, work shifts with my patrolmen, I will work alongside my Detectives and Narcotics Detectives, visit the schools resource officers at their schools. I intend to have many programs, some of which I have detailed on my Facebook page, that will allow my office to be open and visible to the public. I will be a visible Sheriff throughout my terms, not just during election time.
Which of these do you believe best describes the responsibility of the sheriff’s office?
In an ideal world all crime would be stopped prior to being committed, however, that is simply not feasible. Many crimes happen in the heat of the moment, such as domestic violence, or assaults, and other crimes are committed out of the view of the public, hidden from sight. My office will work to find an appropriate balance between each choice. Through a greater presence in Hickman’s rural areas, and pro-active patrols that are searching for criminals, using our stretched resources more efficiently we can reduce the number of crimes that occur. Our rural areas do not receive the attention and patrols they deserve. The citizens in those rural areas are tax payers and deserve our protections as much as any other location in the county. I will install GPS in each vehicle used by the Sheriff’s Office, and track how often areas are being patrolled and my supervisors will assign Deputies appropriately. Currently there is only GPS in a select few cars. With a drastic change in the way crimes are investigated we will increase the number of criminals that are brought to justice, and victims that are made whole once again. Under the current administration there is no method to assign cases to a Detective, they pick and choose cases as they please. There is also no direct supervisor in place for Detectives. If elected, I will promote a supervisor over CID who will oversee assigning each case that comes to that office, and, most importantly, ensure that each case is followed up on. One of the most common complaints I hear while campaigning from victims of crime is they were never contacted by a Detective or Deputy that took the initial report, the new CID supervisor will be responsible for making sure that happens. Also, my Detectives will not work solely 8 am to 4 pm. Working different hours will open themselves up to being able to visit with victims and potential witnesses that may not be available during the day. I believe we can do better for all the citizens of Hickman County, and that is one of the reasons I decided to run for Sheriff.
If the Federal Government passed a radically unconstitutional law that affected Hickman County, such as a mass gun ban/confiscation, what would your response be?
The Sheriff, and each of his Deputies, take an oath of office which states in part, “I do solemnly swear to support the constitutions of Tennessee and the United States and to faithfully perform the duties of the office of sheriff for Hickman County…” By taking this oath, I am swearing that I will protect Hickman County from any unconstitutional law and refuse to allow my Deputies to follow any unconstitutional order or law.
What is your position on if and when no-knock warrants should be used?
Warrant service will be based on the circumstances. My faith will be in my Deputies. If the investigating Deputy/Detective and SORT Team Leader agree that the case meets the standards set out by law, AND a Judge approves a “No Knock” Warrant, then, and only then, may it be used. However, if they disagree, we will investigate other potential methods for apprehension or warrant service. Each Search Warrant will be thoroughly reviewed by a Supervisor and the 21st District Attorney’s Office prior to service. There is no broad sweeping answer that covers each potential circumstance. Our primary goal must be to protect innocent lives of our citizens, and the service of search warrants at the homes of dangerous drug dealers or violent felons must first take that into consideration. Property and evidence will come second to that standard. Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure and case law (State of TN v. Perry) dictates when a “No Knock” warrant may be used. A request for a “no knock” warrant must be approved by a Judge or Judicial Magistrate, after a thorough investigation, detailing in depth the reason for the request in the search warrant. If innocent lives may be endangered by announcing, crucial evidence may be destroyed, or weapons are present that may be used during the service of the warrant, a no knock warrant may be appropriate, but other tactics may work as well. No quantity of drugs or evidence is worth a Deputies life, sometimes surrounding a home and calling a group out is more appropriate. During my time as a Special Operations Team Member (SORT) with Hickman County, we served both “knock” and “no knock” style warrants. I intend to have a better working relationship with the 21st District Attorney’s Office and will work alongside the fine men and women of that office to ensure the most effective tool is used to ensure that appropriate justice is found, and laws are followed.
What are your thoughts on bringing back the Reserve Deputy program?
The Reserve Deputy program was an excellent resource for the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office, and an invaluable tool, saving countless dollars for the tax payers of Hickman County. The program partnered uncertified Deputies, who volunteered their services after receiving training, with certified Deputies while on patrol. These Reserve Deputies rode along with the deputies, providing instant backup on calls and stops, helped with reports and paperwork, and were available to do transports to and from other counties or medical facilities, which keeps the certified Deputy in the county and available for calls. The program was stopped by Sheriff Ward after changes from the Tennessee P.O.S.T. requirements for Reserve Deputies. Sheriff Ward and his administration determined it would be too difficult to continue. I have already had conversations with my future staff of bringing this program back immediately. I will assign a supervisor over the program, likely a Deputy who is on the verge of becoming a supervisor and will benefit from the experience, who will be responsible for ensuring training standards are met, and the requirements of the POST are followed closely. We often discuss the high level of turnover we have in this department, and how difficult it is to find qualified and willing candidates to fill vacancies. During the height of the Reserve Program, there was a waiting list for the Reserves to get to ride with a Certified Deputy on the weekends. Nearly every car was a “two man” unit during the busiest times, including holidays. We also hired several excellent men and women from the program, who turned out to be great law enforcement officers. Several benefits to hiring from the program include, you know the persons level of training and what they are capable of, you know their work ethic (as they’ve worked a great deal of hours for zero pay), and you know their willingness to serve this community. The Reserve Deputies must maintain a minimum number of patrol hours each month, and a meet a minimum amount of training each year, this training can be done in house at a minimal cost to the department, as we currently provide in-service to constables that would meet that standard. The program also brought members from the community to our department that weren’t necessarily able to be a full time Deputy, because of other commitments, but still had deep connections to this county and helped bridge gaps. I certainly intend to bring this program back as it is an asset to this community and greatly beneficial on a financial scale.
Do you believe the Bible gives guidance on how the Sheriff should discharge his duties? If so, what are some of the main verses or principles that you look to?
Proverbs provides a great deal of guidance for Law Enforcement on how duties should be discharged. We are directed to follow the laws of the land unless they contradict our beliefs. As Sheriff, I will choose to be a leader that follows the principals of Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.” I intend to sharpen my men, and have them sharpen me, surrounding myself with those that will not simply be “yes men” but will tell me the hard things, and point me in the right direction. I believe that God chooses the right leader for the needs of a community, and when God asks whom He shall send, I will simply reply, “Here am I! Send me.”
