Reaching Out: CCSO, NPD hold joint community outreach

NEWPORT — Cocke County Sheriff C.J. Ball and Newport Police Chief Scott Lamb held a joint community outreach meeting on Monday at Newport City Hall. The meeting allowed those within the city limits to know more about both law enforcement agencies and how they are working together.

Ball was elected sheriff in August 2022 and took office on Sept. 1, 2022. Lamb took over the duties of police chief in January.

Both law enforcement agencies, the Newport Police Department (NPD) and the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), have had success with grants during the last year.

NPD received a $75,000 school resource officer grant, $124,800 violent crimes grant, $5,000 Tennessee Highway Safety grant, $40,000 Tennessee cost sharing grant and a $26,000 recruitment and retention grant, totaling $203,300 in grant funds.

The CCSO received a $900,000 grant from the state for school resource officers, $60,000 DUI grant, mental health grant of $35,000, BPV grant of $15,000, VCIF grant for $158,000 and $70,000 of opioid abatement funding, which exceeded $1 million in grant funds.

Both departments outlined how they have increased their salaries for officers, which has enabled them to be more competitive, get better applicants and retain officers with their department. They hope to be able to increase salaries more within the next couple of years, so they can ensure all vacancies are filled and that officers do not leave their departments to go to a neighboring community to make more money.

Sheriff Ball explained that office hours have changed to better accommodate the community. The administrative office is open from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The NPD office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The NPD reported it has responded to 7,537 calls for service during the first five months of the year, averaging 1,507.4 calls per month. This total doesn’t include traffic stops or other investigations that aren’t logged into the system. There were 333 citations and 330 arrests made from January to May of this year.

The CCSO reported from July 1, 2023 until June 24, 2024 it responded to 106 accidents, had 2,287 jail intakes and 2,280 releases as well as 1,328 warrants entered and 1,183 warrants completed. Reportable incidents involving adults totaled 1,260 while there were 140 reported incidents involving juveniles.

Sheriff Ball offers the community outreach program throughout the county visiting different communities. He said that way the citizens don’t have to come to them, but instead, officers are going to them to provide information. This was the first outreach program Lamb has participated in, but he said he would like to participate in more.