Sheriff Fulbright Settles Into Office
Rusty Fulbright, elected last year as Stephens County’s new Sheriff, is settling into the role after officially taking office on Jan. 1.
WNEG News recently sat down with Fulbright to find out how the transition is going.
He said there hasn’t been any major changes instituted in policies or procedures yet, but did mention a few personnel changes.
He said management of the Jail is a vital part of the Sheriff’s Office operations.
He said that addressing the problem of contraband in the jail is a key priority, installation of the Body Scanner purchased by previous sheriff Randy Shirley will help alleviate that problem.
When talking about goals and initiatives for the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, he said dealing with the drug problem in Stephens County is a very high priority.
He said that there are a number of new Sheriff’s in the region, and they all completed training together, which will enhance the communication and cooperation between agencies, which in turn will help improve the effectiveness of each county’s initiatives.
He said meth is the main issue right now, but said fentanyl may overtake that in the coming years.
He said there is still a gang presence in Stephens County that law enforcement needs to deal with, but it doesn’t seem to be as violent as it once was.
He said that obtaining accreditation for the Stephens County Sheriff’s office is one of his first key priorities, and one they are already working on.
He added that physical training is an important part of training for a job as a Stephens County Deputy, and that it goes hand in hand with a professional demeanor and attitude that officers will abide by when dealing with citizens.
He talked about efforts to address distracted driving and speeding, especially along some of the county’s more dangerous corridors.
He did mention that the Sheriff’s Office would continue to offer the Sheriff’s Academy for citizens, as well as the firearms classes.
In closing, he talked about the weekly discussions he will be holding with WNEG Radio that we will broadcast each Tuesday – an initiative that he first mentioned to WNEG during his campaign.