In a special-called convening following the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Trigg County’s Fiscal Court approved the 2024-25 Trigg County Sheriff’s Office budget Tuesday evening — inking a ledger that must legally be completed before Fiscal Year ’24 ends.
Valued at $985,185 before Social Security and retirement costs, and more than $1.1 million with, it’s an expected 5.4% increase from 2023-24 appropriations.
Among this year’s highlights include:
— A raise for Trigg County Sheriff Aaron Acree, up from $98,000 to $109,000
— An across-the-board 3% raise for all deputies, Judicial Center security and office staff
— A $10,000 increase, up to $60,000, for gasoline and related petroleum products
— And a $3,000 increase, up to $8,600, for the servicing of body cameras and their perpetual storage and maintenance
Acree said this year’s budget required a “full salary cap,” totaling more than $680,000 of the realized budget.
Currently, the sheriff’s office maintains one part-time deputy, seven full-time deputies and Acree within its patrol.
Also, at the behest of magistrates, Acree compiled and then discussed a compare-and-contrast of arrest records between the January 2018 to August 2020 service of former Sheriff Jason Barnes, and the current tenure spanning from September 2020 until December 2023.
Several differences were exhibited, in differing trends.
Under Barnes, more than $6,900 of ill-begotten cash, 21 guns, 87 grams of methamphetamine, 177 grams of marijuana, 1.5 grams of cocaine, 146 pills of unknown categories and one gram of crack were seized.
Under Acree, more than $19,600, 86 guns, more than 80 pounds of marijuana, more than 16 grams of cocaine, more than 60 grams of synthetic marijuana, more than 20 pills of fentanyl and more than two liquid bottles of Xanax have been seized.
One could possibly ascertain the office has been a little busier over the last three years, but Judge-Executive Stan Humphries and Acree agreed that Trigg County’s drug problem has increased since the global pandemic.
Acree credited his agents and their efforts.
Acree also wanted to make the public aware of Trigg County’s active, behind-the-scenes CrimeStoppers group, which has started to once again ramp up its efforts over the last few months and is in need of volunteers.
George Radford, on hand to also speak about Genesis Express, said the group will meet the first Monday of each quarterly month — with a called meeting set to take place Monday, February 5, in order to bring names of volunteers to the table.
Those needing non-emergent services from the sheriff’s office, especially this week with winter weather concerns, should contact dispatch at (270) 522-8888.
