Sheriffs Gather for Annual Convention

PICTURED ABOVE

National Sheriffs Association President Daron Hall (Davidson County Tenn. Sheriff) and Kentucky Sheriffs Association President Patrick Boggs (Mason County Sheriff) present Laurel County Sheriff John Root (center) with the Sheriff of the Year award. (Photo by Michael A. Moore)

Sheriffs and deputies from across Kentucky traveled to Bowling Green Sept. 9-13 for the 90th Annual Kentucky Sheriff’s Association Conference.

The conference serves as a week-long training and networking event for KSA members, executive director Jerry Wagner said.

“Every year we do our 40 hours of in-service at the conference,” he explained. “It’s eight hours every day. Developing leadership skills is what it is all about. We bring in speakers of the highest quality to teach topics that will help our community and the deputies.”

Wagner added that sheriffs offices across the state have a myriad of challenges they face every day, and through training and after-hours networking, many positive things come from the event.

“In the evenings, when you come to a conference, you can learn as much after class as you could during class by networking with other sheriffs and deputies,” he continued. “We even had bookkeepers here for a day and a half. They had topics on how to keep accurate records so your audits will be straight.”

Henderson County Sheriff Ed Brady concurred.

“Things are changing in this world rapidly, and it is incumbent upon us as law enforcement to keep up on the change,” Brady said. “You can take that conversation anywhere you want to. You can make it a broader conversation about law enforcement because we talk about specific issues that affect us. The agenda is great, and we need to learn from the presenters. However, the networking is especially good because we can take those conversations and learn what we need to use (the information) when we go home.”

The training agenda was chock-full of leadership courses, Wagner said.

“We have Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (speaking during the Thursday session),” he continued. “Most of the people in this room have never heard him speak until today. If you looked around the room, there was not an empty seat. We had people standing along the walls, and nobody was getting up and leaving. That’s what we’ve had all week.”

Grossman is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who is a published author specializing in the psychology of killing. At the KSA conference, he spoke about The Bulletproof Mind: Preparation for Combat.

Grossman stressed that law enforcement should try to stay ahead of the curve and anticipate what may happen next. To illustrate his point, he said the lesson of simply locking school doors had been learned from various school shootings. But what about the potential of mass killings on school buses or in daycare? He said law enforcement must prepare for that possibility.

“He’s sending a message to be proactive instead of reactive,” Wagner said. “We have to be reactive, but it’s good to be proactive on the front side. That’s his message today.”

Grossman also talked about bodily reactions to extreme stress, such as memory gaps and tunnel vision.

Other topics covered during the week included a sheriffs’ forum, emerging trends in law enforcement and crisis intervention.

An awards banquet was held during the convention and many people were recognized.

The 2019 Kentucky Sheriff’s Association Awards:

Sheriff of the Year
Sheriff John Root
Laurel County Sheriff’s Office

Deputies of the Year
Deputy Tracey Mayberry
School Resource Officer
Todd County Sheriff’s Office

Capt. Jesse Riddle
Detective
McCracken County Sheriff’s Office

Medal of Honor
Deputy Colby Reik
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

Medal of Valor
K-9 Deputy B.J. Grayson
Deputy David Hutcheson
Todd County Sheriff’s Office

Deputy David E. King
Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, currently with the Christian County Sheriff’s Office

Deputy Kenneth Vincent
Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, currently with the Christian County Sheriff’s Office

Tyler Watkins
McCreary County Sheriff’s Office

Civilian Support Award
Tania Pineiroa
WELL PATH

Executive Director Award
Sheriff Sam Steger
Calloway County Sheriff’s Office