STARKVILLE — Five months into his job as Oktibbeha County sheriff, Steve Gladney still exudes the genial, relaxed personality that helped catapult him into office in his race against a popular incumbent.
“So far, so good,” Gladney said last week, as he sank back into his desk. “I couldn’t be prouder of the way the people in this department have handled this change. It’s been a pretty smooth transition, I think.”
Gladney took over as sheriff on Jan. 1, after narrowly defeating Dolph Bryan, who had been the sheriff since 1976. If the change from one administration to another has been seamless, much of that is attributed to his knowledge of the personnel.
“Gosh, I’ve known almost all of these people for years,” said Gladney, who served 30 years in the Mississippi Highway Patrol and has lived in Starkville since 1980. “I think that probably made things a lot easier for both me and for them.”
Since taking over, Gladney’s top priority has been providing his officers with the equipment they need. In some cases, those efforts have produced results. In other cases, the battle continues.
“I told the guys that my man goal is to get them the things they needed to do their job,” Gladney said. “We’ve been able to do some things already. We were able to get some grant money for seat belt and DUI enforcements, for example. Now, we’re trying to get new body armor and bulletproof vests for 23 people. ”
Gladney said one of his most pressing needs is for new patrol cars.
“We have a lot of them that have 200,000 miles on them or will be there soon,” he said. “Really, once you get to 200,000 you’re reaching a point where it’s not cost-effective to keep them. More importantly, there are safety concerns, too.”
Getting funding for new cars, Gladney said, will not be easy.
“With the economy the way things are right now, I know there are a lot of things that won’t get funded. But I am very hopeful that we’ll be able to get some money for cars. It’s going to reach a critical state, before long. And there will be a point where it costs as much, if not more, to keep these old cars in service than it would to buy new ones. So that’s something we’ll really work hard on in our budget.”
Gladney said the need for more officers continues to grow as the county’s population increases.
“I think back in 1996 or 1997, the Sheriff’s Department went to four 12-hour patrol shifts,” he said. “Today, we’re still doing four, 12-hour shifts. Last month, we answered 531 calls for service alone. The population has grown a lot since 1996, but our staffing hasn’t.”
Those challenges notwithstanding, Gladney said he has enjoyed the job.
“It really is the job I thought it would be,” he said. “We have a lot of challenges and our guys work their tails off, but I’m pleased with how things are working out.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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