Loudon
County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Capt. Tony Arden has replaced
Paul Curtis as assistant chief deputy.
Arden’s promotion went into effect July 1 after
Curtis, a LCSO representative for 19 years, took a job at Knox
County Sheriff’s Office.
“His experience in the office,” Sheriff Tim Guider
said of Arden’s qualifications. “His duties is not going to change a
whole lot. He wants to take some of those duties that he does very
well and that is payroll, fleet management, he does that very well
and he wants to continue to do those things. We’ll find some things
to take off of him, add some and kind of filter those duties down to
the captain.”
Hopes are to have more of a focus on patrol with the
administrative captain, Guider said.
“I didn’t do a whole lot on that particular
position,” Guider said of finding Curtis’ replacement. “Arden just
seemed it would be the natural progression and the fit. He was
actually considered for the assistant chief job before ... Paul got
it. It just seemed like the natural thing.”
Arden has been with LCSO for 21 years, working as a
jail administrator, deputy, corrections officer and administrative
captain. He said experience should help him in the new position.
“It helps me manage and also assist the other
employees here,” Arden said. “It makes you a better manager if
you’ve done what the people you’re managing are doing.”
With Arden’s promotion, Inv. Sgt. Jeff Russell will
step into a new role as administrative captain. Guider made the
promotion official last week.
Russell will maintain his duties as investigator
for now, including the possibility of taking on more cases until
a replacement is found, Guider said.
“Jeff, not only has he had all experience, he’s
worked, he’s come up through the ranks and I think most of them
have,” Guider said. “He started in the jail.
Jeff has been with me, with the department, for 26 years, and he has had, if you will, a dose — he’s had experience in every division we’ve had. That being the jail, patrol, he was a supervisor on patrol. He has worked narcotics and investigations. He’s well-rounded, let’s say that.”
Jeff has been with me, with the department, for 26 years, and he has had, if you will, a dose — he’s had experience in every division we’ve had. That being the jail, patrol, he was a supervisor on patrol. He has worked narcotics and investigations. He’s well-rounded, let’s say that.”
Four people inside LCSO were considered for the
job, Guider said.
Like Arden, Russell believes his varied
experience should help him in his new role.
“I’m blessed that the sheriff chose me to fill
this position and everything,” Russell said. “I feel my
experience as a patrol officer, narcotics, investigations and
corrections gives me some aspects of all sides that help me
solve — help the officers, help the public with any problems
that benefits the sheriff’s office.”