CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office was able to increase the size of their force on Thursday through a group of deputies not quite four-feet tall.
Sheriff Matt Gentry swore in 5-year-old Silas Adams as a Deputy Sheriff at Sacred Heart School.
Silas recently chose Sheriff Gentry as his “character” for Character Day at school and expressed his plans to one day become a sheriff himself.
Gentry shared one of the goals the Sheriff’s Office has is to bridge the gap between law enforcement and civilians, especially those still in the early stages of their education.
“Through community programs, especially our SRO program, the Sheriff’s Office places great emphasis on building relationships with our children,” Gentry said. “The future leaders truly are these children. One of the most important things we can do is to foster and nurture these relationships at an early age.”
Individual and family issues can often highlight negativity regarding local law enforcement— Gentry said their goal is to minimize that.
“Unfortunately, many kids (and adults) have negative experiences with law enforcement due to personal circumstances,” Gentry said. “Through our community policing efforts and outreach programs, we strive to be part of the community. I often say, the Sheriff’s Office belongs to all of us. We will always be stronger together than apart.”
Gentry took this opportunity and swore in every student in attendance at Sacred Heart School.
“The best part of the job will always be the kids. More often than not, our job focuses more on negative things than positive,” Gentry said. “There is nothing negative about getting the opportunity to spend time with the future leaders of our community.”
The Cullman County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Gentry are very hopeful for the future of law enforcement.
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