Recently, Sheriff Smith and Captain Ralph Williams were on regular patrol, when they received a notification from the license plate reader system, alerting them of a stolen vehicle. These plate readers read plates as they pass the camera systems, and can alert law enforcement of warrants, stolen vehicles, missing persons, and much more.
 
Following the notification, Sheriff Smith and Captain Williams responded to the area where the truck was last seen, and it was located. The vehicle, a rented box truck, was reported stolen out of Delaware. The rental has been reported as stolen since back in July of 2024, and the truck had been roaming the country since then. The last GPS transmitter ping on the vehicle placed it in North Carolina around the middle of July.
 
Without these plate readers, this truck may have continued to roam around the US, and these trucks are often used in criminal enterprises, specifically drug and human trafficking. Thankfully, this vehicle can no longer be used for potentially nefarious purposes, and will be returned to the owners soon, based on the swift response and actions taken by Sheriff Smith and Captain Williams.

Since 2019, the WCSO has fully renovated and refreshed almost every inch of the jail. New locks, cameras, and control systems were installed, and then work began on the aging facility.
 
Almost $1 million in funding was made available for the jail improvements in 2019. The locks were broken, and inmates were able to move freely inside the jail. Also, the outdated camera system in place was failing. The locks were repaired and old cameras were replaced with nearly 100 state-of-the-art cameras, marking one of the single largest improvement projects at the WCSO jail.
 
As recently as this year, the jail received $150,000 in grant funding to replace and upgrade the intercom system within the jail. These intercoms allow for quick communication between the dorms, and the central control operators. Also this year, opioid settlement monies were disbursed, and with it, our county was able to purchase revolutionary new technology to monitor inmate health. These monitors use RF and other advanced sensors to remotely detect and log inmate vital signs, such as respiration rate and heart rate.
 
The most important jail expansion didn’t involve a single paintbrush, however. We were able to partner with the Fellowship House, and we are one of the first jails in the nation to offer level one outpatient drug treatment. We can administer drug treatment options via our medical staff, and get people on their first steps to recovery, at no cost to the inmate.

These renovations are a part of a yearly program to freshen up each dorm, and is led by a team of trustees. This year, we've started off strong, and have completed two dorms, and look to finish by the end of the year.
 
We’re extremely proud of the work done to our facility, but even more so are we proud of those that work inside our jail, day in and day out. We especially commend the supervisors that have stuck in there over the years, and made our facility better, and became a positive influence on inmates’ lives. Your work does not go unnoticed. You are appreciated, and you choose to do a job that few can handle, and you handle it with fairness and poise. From the WCSO to our COs, thank you.

We were ecstatic to host Game Warden Chad Nalls at our last session of the Nauvoo Neighborhood Watch. This is a great way to show positive inter-agency cooperation, and for the public to engage and ask questions of their local officials. Our neighborhood watch affords our residents this opportunity, and many others.
 
More than 20 folks got to have their burning questions about Alabama Wild Game and Fish Laws answered, and got to voice their concerns or comments about how the WCSO and Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries can continue to work together for the betterment of our county.
 
Now, we know not everyone is a fan of green pants coming at them through the woods, but as long as you take advantage of opportunities to learn and educate yourself, you will learn to appreciate the conservation efforts of Game Warden Nalls, and his colleagues at the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Without them, we could risk losing and endangering local game and fish populations with over hunting.
 
If you’d like to take part in these watch meetings, you can sign up at walkercountysheriff.com!

People are naturally curious. We want to know more, understand more, and be a part of more. What we understand of the world around us is largely based on basic facts and observations. We share basic truths that shape our own worlds. For example, the grass is green, the sky is blue, and Sheriff likes to take selfies. These are all basic truths that intertwines our shared human existence.
 
Without a sense of commonality and what knowledge we share, we become isolated and disconnected. This felling of disconnectedness is exactly what spurred our news format. We enjoy our local news partners, like print and digital media outlets. However, they have to cover our ever-changing world. In a world of go, they say here’s what you need to know.  They can only put so much news in thirty minute segments, or even in an article. That poses an issue.
 
We see, daily, the worst that our world has to offer, in terms of news. Bad news sells more ad space. That is simple fact. In a world of bad news, we carved a space out of our website for some good news, and important local information. We serve you news, right from the source, and without ads and a paywall. You get the full story, every time.
 
We’re thankful to provide our citizens with the best possible information, as timely as possible. Stick around for more information, as we are just getting started!

My office has been made aware of a social media threat towards Oakman Schools. Our team is currently investigating the threats and treating the threat seriously, as we do with all threats brought to our attention. We will be increasing security at the schools and will call in reserve deputies as well to ensure there is adequate presence to address any issue.

It's unfortunate that we live in a world where we have to deal with these types of issues. We are not immune; however, I'm thankful for the board of education who helps us have deputies in our schools and the tools they provide to keep our children and grandchildren safe. With the most recent school shooting, it serves as a reminder that having deputies on school campuses is very important in today's world.

In August, over 105 inmates were booked into the Walker County Correctional Facility.
Our Correctional Officers have worked, and continue to work to maintain the safety, security, and control of the facility, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are extremely proud of our COs, and commend them all for doing the job that many are too afraid to do.
 
Some statistical highlights include:
-1 in every 4 inmates, booked in, are females
-79 percent of intakes are Caucasian
-Twice the amount of Felony arrests are made, as compared to misdemeanors
-64 of the 105 inmates booked were over the age of 35

In 2019, there was a small room downstairs at the WCSO that was used for informal meetings, and storage. It wasn’t anything significant, at the time. Upon Sheriff Smith taking office, he learned of a great need for a computer lab and classroom for inmate programs. That room soon became much more than a storage area.
 
Sheriff Smith began to secure funding and equipment to build the new learning center in the jail. A grant was secured to purchase over 10 brand new workstations, a smart board, and forge relationships with local partners, like Bevill State, to offer in-house instruction to our inmates.
 
Now, 5 years later, hundreds of hours of coursework have been completed, and over 10 different programs meet in the educational resource center. You may ask yourself, “why would I care about a classroom with fancy name,” but we offer a simple response. It is opportunity. The things that there are not a lot of in jail are hope, and opportunity. By giving an inmate a chance to better themselves while on the inside, their chances of personal and professional success skyrocket on the outside.
 
We remain committed to bettering our communities and county, and this is another way that we can positively impact the people that need it the most.

In a feel-good follow-up, we're glad to share that our inmates are receiving their glasses from The Lions International. We’re so glad that they have partnered with us to provide high quality eye care for our inmates!

Dr. Kent Daub with Lionsight of The Lions International stopped by to offer eye examinations, and new eyeglasses for inmates that needed them. These outside medical resources are vital to providing our incarcerated individuals with quality medical care.

Having excellent vision means not only seeing the world around you more clearly, but giving a person confidence and hope to better themselves. Most of all, it shows that we are ready to invest into the lives of people experiencing the toughest times of their life.

We are thankful for Dr. Kent Daub with Lionsight of The Lions International, and all of our partners that sow into the lives of our inmates. They give them hope, knowledge, and opportunity to grow when they are released. That is truly something to be excited for! As your sheriff, we will continue these invaluable programs, and look forward to expanding upon them.