Small Agency Rises to the Challenge

PICTURED ABOVE

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office patrols a county of approximately 17,000 residents. Because of its proximity to larger cities such as Cincinnati, Ohio, deputies with MCSO deal with plenty of crimes typically associated with urban settings. Patrick Boggs (third from left) has been sheriff for 13 years, and MCSO employs 11 full-time and two part-time deputies.

Mason County Deputy Devin Hull has law enforcement and Mason County in his blood.

An eight-year veteran of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Hull comes from a law enforcement family as his father once served as an MCSO deputy.

“I grew up here, and I have always been around law enforcement,” Hull said.

Deputy Cameron Griffin tells a similar story.

“We all grew up around here,” he pointed out. “I don’t think we have many deputies who are not from this area.”

Sheriff Patrick Boggs said recruiting and grooming local talent is by design.

Because of the potential talent poaching Boggs, who has been sheriff for 13 years, targets his recruitment to a few counties surrounding Mason.

“I feel that hometown families might stay here, even if it is for less money,” he said.

While MCSO focuses on recruiting from a local pool, the crime they face is not dissimilar to what larger cities, such as Cincinnati or Lexington, face, Boggs said.

“I call us a gateway between it all because we have Ashland, Portsmith, Ohio and Cincinnati are an hour away, as is Lexington,” Boggs said. “We see a lot of drug trafficking that comes down from Dayton, Ohio, which is a little more than an hour and a half away. Many drugs come through there via Detroit.”

The drugs of choice in Mason County are typically methamphetamine and cocaine, Boggs said.

“We get the occasional heroin, but it’s mainly meth and cocaine,” Boggs stated.

While larger agencies often devote several officers to dedicated drug units, Mason County doesn’t have the luxury of doing so, as it employs 11 full-time sworn deputies (including Boggs) and two part-time road deputies.

Mason County Sheriff Patrick Boggs has served in his role for more than a decade. He said his community is a “gateway” for criminal activities, which come in from other places such as Lexington. (Photo by Jim Robertson)

Instead, Boggs said his deputies learn and experience a wide range of policing skills that will help their careers in the long run.

“Everybody works everything, here,” he pointed out. “I want my deputies to have universal knowledge of every type of crime. Should they move on to a larger agency, it can only help to promote themselves.” 

Boggs paused, reflecting on the phrase “my deputies.”

“We’re a family here in this office,” he emphasized. “While they might be labeled my employees, they’re all my co-workers and my brothers and sisters. We have mutual respect.”

Partnerships

Though it is a small staff, MCSO has also formed a partnership with the Maysville Police Department that brought about a community emergency response team.

“I have four deputies on that team,” Boggs said. “We have a great working relationship with them. We work hand-in-hand, and we cover for them if they are swamped, and they cover for us if we’re swamped.”

Mason County Deputy Devin Hull has followed his dad’s example by being a deputy. Hull is a prime example of Sheriff Patrick Boggs’ commitment to recruiting local talent. (Photo by Jim Robertson)

Mason County Deputy Cameron Griffin also grew up in the area and eventually came on board as a deputy. He said the agency has seen a noticeable increase in drugs in recent years. (Photo by Jim Robertson)

MCSO has also partnered with the Mason County School District to provide school resource officers, Boggs added.

“I have two (deputies) certified under the old SRO law, and they are currently enrolled for the new SRO classes, and I have two more signed up for training,” he said. “Our relationship with the school board is fantastic, and our deputies, even though they may not be SROs, stop in routinely, as do the officers with the city of Maysville.”

Mason County Deputy Brittani Price serves as a school resource officer. Price said building trust and relationship with students is vital in being a successful SRO. Price and other deputies routinely visits schools in Mason County. (Photo by Jim Robertson)

One of the SROs is Brittani Price. She stressed to be an effective SRO, an officer or deputy must know how to relate to kids.

“They seem to respond to me well,” she said. “I also have good relationships with the administrators, but mostly, I love interacting with the kids.”

Working as an SRO is not all fun and games, Price said, pointing out that it has many challenges.

“We see social-media bullying, images being circulated and drugs every once in a while,” she said. “THC vaping is a big epidemic, and so are vapes in general. We have a big problem with that here.”

From drug investigations to meeting the needs of having SROs in schools, Mason County offers many opportunities for its deputies.