For Lowndes County Sheriff Mike Arledge, putting on his gun and his badge every day is almost second nature. Although he just finished his first year as sheriff, he has been donning a badge and a gun for more than 30 years.
Early in his career, Arledge worked with the Department of Public Safety where he was a part of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Criminal Investigation Bureau. From there, he joined the Mississippi Highway Patrol. He retired from MHP after 25 years before serving two terms as Justice Court Judge. He stepped down from the bench to run for sheriff.
Arledge said he first decided to run for the position because he felt like he could make a difference.
“I knew the previous sheriff was getting ready to retire and I felt like ‘Somebody’s got to do it.’ I felt like I was up to the task to do something for the citizens of Lowndes County,” he said.
During his 2011 campaign, Arledge promised voters and fellow law enforcement officers that he would maintain an open-door policy. With approximately 100 full-time employees and 30 part-time employees and operating a jail that houses 270 inmates, Arledge said communication is key to running a department.
“It’s a big operation,” he said. “When you’ve got a large agency, it’s key to have communication between your staff and employees.”
Arledge’s commitment to open communication was emphasized a few weeks after he took office when he decided to move his office to the middle of the investigations division, allowing him to work side-by-side with his staff.
“We have a chain of command in place, but my employees know they can approach me and talk about their work or something on a personal level,” he said. “Communication is key to keep a department running smoothly.”
That was the first of many changes Arledge has implemented.
He promoted training officer Marc Miley to chief deputy and hired Bobby Grimes as the head of the narcotics unit. He also promoted several officers.
In addition to any personnel changes, Arledge said his main focus was making sure his deputies had the proper equipment.
Since Arledge took office in January, the department has acquired several new vehicles. There are plans to order seven more this month.
He also purchased new shotguns and Tasers to make sure every deputy was armed with one of each.
In addition, Arledge began sending his officers to training classes each month.
The Naval Station in Meridian offers a Regional Counter Drug Training Academy that is free to law enforcement officers. Arledge said he sends at least one deputy to a class every month.
The sheriff added that most of his deputies have 25 years or more of experience. With very little turnover, Arledge feels it is important to educate the younger deputies so he has a highly trained and experienced force should some of the veteran officers choose to retire.
Arledge said he has also been focused on the department’s budget and any cost-saving maneuvers he can make to ensure his deputies can continue to have the latest equipment.
In an effort to save money, Arledge said the narcotics unit relocated to the former Justice Court building on Airline Road. The former building not only housed the narcotics agents but two U.S. Marshals and offices for MBN agents. Arledge said the building had a leaking roof and was difficult to heat and cool.
When the agents moved into the Justice Court building, it underwent a complete remodel at no cost to the county. Arledge said they used seized drug money and inmate labor to complete the remodeling work.
He said the move saves the county approximately $2,500 to $3,000 a month.
With those savings, the narcotics unit has been able to acquire a new intelligence system. The MINI is a system created by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics that makes checking criminal history and preparing various court cases more efficient.
Arledge said the coming year will hopefully bring more positive changes to the department.
Through a series of grants, Arledge plans to update the department’s interrogation room with high tech equipment, update the evidence room and hire security for the county courthouse. Arledge added that they are looking into the possibility of having a bomb sniffing dog as well.
The sheriff also plans to begin working with schools to identify ways they could protect themselves in the event of a shooting in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. Arledge said he and his officers will walk through each school, addressing concerns while evaluating security. They will host mock training classes with school personnel.
As the year came to a close, Arledge said he had a feeling of accomplishment with the last twelve months. He said the department’s biggest accomplishment, though, is that all of the deputies came home at the end of each shift.
“I feel like in a lot of ways if we can all go home and not have anybody hurt or killed we’ve been successful in that way,” he said.
“It’s on my mind a lot. It’s a big burden on my shoulders. That’s why we have to be as prepared as we can so that no officer will get seriously injured or killed.”
Arledge also noted that the county had very little violent crime in 2012 and completed the year without a single murder.
As he looks back on his first year as sheriff, Arledge said he is looking forward to things to come.
“I have an overall satisfaction each day or each night when I come home that I’m able to do something and hopefully making a difference,” he said. “We’re going to work hard and we’re going to come together and we’re going to do everything we can to keep the community as safe as possible.”
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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