Violence prevention & student advocacy nonprofit, The One In Five Foundation For Kids, dedicated to ending school violence & formed in response to the May 2022 Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; released Wednesday evening that it is currently launching its special volunteer STOPNOW school community patrol teams who will be patrolling district/school community neighborhoods, in addition to an increased law enforcement presence as students return to school this 2024/2025 school year. The foundation noted in the release that it is actively seeking community members to join its patrols.
 
Foundation STOPNOW Patrols, modeled after the "Guardian Angels," anti crime unit in NYC in the 1980's, patrol school perimeters to minimize & prevent safety incidents from reaching school campuses; while also providing extra encouragement and support for students and neighborhoods. The nonprofit noted in the release that the school patrols are part of an aggressive nationwide grassroots effort to prevent violence from coming onto & disrupting school campuses and endangering student lives; while also serving as an added level of security presence and student support in the immediate off campus neighborhoods.
 
Patrols are currently ongoing at several school neighborhoods throughout the nation; including Morgan State University, Garfield Heights High School, College Station High School, Michigan State University & Choctaw High School.
 
Team volunteers undergo foundational training, are cleared through background checks & are trained in situational awareness and basic intervention techniques... Patrol members are unarmed, must be drug/alcohol free and do not enter school or district property without clearance as part of a collaborative on campus program. Volunteer Regional Team directors & volunteers are actively also being sought. Potential patrol members are encouraged to contact the foundation to begin the team entrance process.
 
The foundation announced that it is currently in communication with Walker County School District Superintendent, Dr Dennis Willingham, as well as Walker County Sheriff, Nick Smith to discuss the potential for the volunteer patrol teams to join on campus student safety efforts in addition to off campus patrols. Currently, patrols are slated for off campus and district properties, patrolling several blocks surrounding several Walker County Schools including Oakman Middle School & High School.
 
Wednesday's release also noted that the national group will recognize Walker County SRO, Officer Jay Miller, Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith & District Superintendent with a national award recognizing their individual and collaborative ongoing efforts to provide enhanced safety and well being for students and general school community. A formal presentation ceremony is tentatively slated for September with more details to be announced.

Earlier Today, the WCSO explosives and firearms detection canine units conducted a routine sweep of Dora High School. These sweeps aim to proactively detect and remove any prohibited items in our schools, as well as being a visible deterrent.
 
These sweeps are conducted at every county school, and on a regular basis. Sgt. Emberg, and Captain Williams are the handlers for the canines, and have extensively trained to employ the use of these detection dogs. The dogs were purchased with funds provided by the Board of Education, and this partnership highlights the ongoing commitment of the WCSO and WCBOE to student safety.
 
Dr. Willingham and Sheriff Smith are excited to work together to create a safe learning environment for our county’s students. We appreciate the opportunity to serve, and we encourage you that if you see something, say something, Your tips may be invaluable!

On the morning of Saturday, August 17th, 2024, Deputy Nathan Morrison performed a traffic stop on Curry Highway near the intersection of Gaines Road in Jasper. The passenger was taken unto custody on an outstanding warrant, and during a search of the individual, incident to arrest, it was discovered that the arrestee was in possession of methamphetamine. Charles Randy Smith Jr., age 32 of Jasper, was arrested for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
 
On the morning of Sunday, August 18th, Deputy Nathan Morrison performed a traffic stop on a vehicle that failed to signal near Fall City Road, and Highway 195, near Manchester. During a search of the vehicle, Deputy Morrison discovered that the driver had over 18 grams of methamphetamine. The driver, Kara Dawn Hill Channell, age 49 of Sylacauga, was arrested for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
 
In the late evening hours of August 19th, Deputy Andrew Ingle performed a traffic stop on a vehicle near the intersection of Duncan Road, and Highway 195. The rear passenger had a quantity of methamphetamine in a purse in the back seat of the vehicle in plain view. The passenger, Angela Lee Villarreal, age 46 of Jasper, was arrested for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
 
Earlier today, WCSO Narcotics Investigators executed a search warrant on a residence on 4th Avenue in the Sipsey community. Fentanyl, Marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia was located, and seized. The resident, Angelo Jevon Edward Rogers, age 39 of Sipsey, was arrested for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
 
These arrests highlight the WCSO’s ongoing commitment to reducing the negative impact that illicit narcotics have on our communities. If you have information, or knowledge of those selling drugs in our community, we implore to speak up and say something. Call us at 205-302-6464, or send us an email at [email protected]. Your tips remain anonymous, and are key for us to identifying potential illegal activity.

Recently, several inmates gained a new level of clarity on life, and in their eyesight! 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.

Monday, the Walker County Sheriff's Office Street Crimes Unit teamed up with deputies from the Narcotics, Patrol, Reserve, and Jail Division to execute arrest warrants in different areas of the county. We want to publicly thank the jail and reserve division members that made this day happen. Without them, this day would not have went as smoothly, nor as efficient. We especially thank our reserve deputies for volunteering their time.

Those arrested are as follows:

Brandon O'Neal Churchill, age 30 of Jasper, Domestic Violence Strangulation - FTA.

Jaxson Hayes Sawyer, age 20 of Jasper, Stalking 1st degree.

Dana Jo Busby, age 49 of Jasper, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - FTA.

Scottie Glenn Newborn, age 42 of Jasper, two warrants for Harassing Communications.

Austin Kane Tidwell, age 25 of Jasper, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Public Intoxication - FTA, Probation Revocation - FTA.

Tammy Belle Hoobler, age 56 of Jasper, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Christopher King, age 26 of Cullman, warrants with Dora Police Department.

Also, on Monday evening the United States Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended two individuals with felony warrants.

Ze'marion Me'Lek Thomas, age 19 of Jasper, was arrested in Double Springs for Domestic Violence Strangulation, and Domestic Violence 3rd degree. Thomas faces an additional charge of Fleeing or Eluding a Law Enforcement Officer from an incident where he ran from officers near Memorial Park in Jasper.

Keyeric Lajohn Gilbert, age 26 of Parrish, was arrested in Oakman for Robbery 1st degree (on a Jasper Police Department case).

Both subjects are in the Walker County Jail pending their initial appearance and bond hearing before a judge.

With Walker County Schools back in session, most kids are thinking about new backpacks, clothes, and teachers. Meanwhile, parents are juggling the costs of the new school year and worrying about their children’s safety. Sadly, school tragedies have become all too familiar across the nation—Uvalde, Nashville, Newtown. These names remind us of the heartbreaking reality that no community is immune to such threats.

But here in Walker County, we’re doing everything we can to keep our students safe. In partnership with the Walker County Board of Education (WCBOE), the Walker County Sheriff’s Office has placed a School Resource Officer (SRO) on every campus. This presence gives our parents some much-needed peace of mind. Our office has also conducted training sessions on active shooter responses, involving both teachers and SROs. These officers are APOST certified and funded by the WCBOE. They’re stationed on school grounds during regular school hours and even accompany sports teams and field trips after hours.

We’re proud of the dedicated officers protecting our schools.

We’re grateful to Dr. Dennis Willingham and the entire Board of Education for sharing Sheriff Smith’s commitment to student safety in today’s world.

While many things may change, our dedication to ensuring a secure learning environment remains constant. The men and women in our SRO division.

Under Sheriff Smith’s leadership, our office has accomplished so many positive things. So much, in fact, that there is no great way to share that news. Our office strives to better connect with every community in county, and the best way to accomplish this, is to directly provide updates for all things WCSO directly to the citizens of Walker County. Stay tuned to this page and our social media accounts to be in the know about recent arrests, updates, and pieces to highlight some of our incredible and dedicated employees.
 
This new format allows us to provide greater depth and more finite details about incidents, that other avenues or route just don’t offer. We’re going to continue our social media presence, and continue to produce useful and informative materials for the general public. We thank you for supporting this office, and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve the people of Walker County.