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BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. — Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy, who’s been on the job for two months, said he’s pleased with how operations are going and his office’s accomplishments, including eliminating programs he believes were wasting tax dollars.

In an interview with the Bristol Herald Courier, Cassidy said he’s proud he’s hired 14 full-time school resource officers. The County Commission approved a resolution that created the positions in September, and Cassidy has since filled all of them with officers who are already certified and trained. The new SROs are either already in SRO, active shooter and SWAT training or will be soon, and all should be in the schools by the beginning of March, according to Cassidy.

The sheriff also touted the jail’s new fingerprint scanning system, which ensures the correct inmates are released from jail and said he’s happy with his move to double the number of officers in the agency’s Vice Unit so combating the county’s drug epidemic can be a bigger focus. Progress is also being made on creating a drug interdiction unit, he said.

“It’s been busy but a good kind of busy,” Cassidy said. “We’ve accomplished a lot. ... I’ve still got a lot of stuff on my list that I want to accomplish.”