Recent Programs - Sheriff Kenny Taylor

Sheriff Speaks at Rotary Club

by Bob Augustin Jr.

     Lawrence County Sheriff Kenny Taylor was the guest speaker at the June 22 Lawrenceburg Rotary Club meeting.  Sheriff Taylor gave the club an update on the construction of the new and temporary jails and on his departments on-going war on drugs.
     Sheriff Taylor reported that  when he took office, the County had approximately 110 Lawrence County prisoners jailed outside the county, at a cost of $55 per day to the tax payers, because of the closing of the jail.  He said he was happy to inform the club that the the holding cells in the old jail located in the Courthouse had been remodeled and 34 persons currently were incarcerated there, thereby reducing the cost to the taxpayers.  When the temporary jail, located at the County Landfill, is completed, it will further reduce the expense of housing inmates outside the county. 

     Regarding the new jail to be located adjacent to the Courthouse, the ground work for the 300 bed facility has begun and is expected to be completed in 18 to 24 months.

     Sheriff Taylor also stated that he would like to address some issues regarding his department.  He said that some folks had begin wondering why he was driving a new pickup truck instead of a patrol car.  The Sheriff explained that, first of all, he was a country boy who preferred a pickup truck to a car and, secondly, no tax payer's money had been used in purchasing the truck.  It was purchased with confiscated drug money.  Taylor said that since he took office last year, his department had received $200,000.00 in money seized during drug busts.  In addition to the truck, the Sheriff's department had purchased a new computer system, video cameras, weapons for patrol cars, and even office and cleaning supplies with confiscated drug money.  Also, the department has purchased new uniforms for his officers.  The new uniforms were more comfortable for the officers and more "friendly" to the general public.

    In closing Sheriff Taylor stated that since he had been in office he had emphasized establishing better rapport and cooperation with other state, federal and local law enforcement units.  This cooperation was evident in the the recent drug bust in Henryville and in Giles County.  In addition information collected during this drug bust had lead to more drug arrests in Detroit, Michigan.  In addition to the the money the Lawrence County  Sheriff's Department received in the local raid, it would also receive 25% of any funds seized in drug busts anywhere in the United States and Canada that were made because of information collected in the Henryville case.

    Pictured are Rotary President Neal Beard, Sheriff Kenny Taylor and Rotarian Jack Grinnell.