A Trigg County native was sworn in Monday afternoon as the new sheriff of the county.
A standing-room-only masked crowd family, friends, community members, and law enforcement officers from Cadiz and around the region were in the Circuit Court Room for the special ceremony to witness Aaron Acree be sworn in as the next Trigg County Sheriff. However, there did not appear to be any current full-time deputies present from the Trigg County Sheriff’s Office at the ceremony.
Before the swearing-in, Trigg County Judge-Executive Hollis Alexander told the story of how he came to know Acree and why he picked him as the next sheriff for the county. Alexander tells the News Edge Acree is qualified and can lead the department into the future.
Acree tells the News Edge this is the perfect time for him to step back into his community.
Acree adds his message to the Trigg County community is to stand together and be patient.
Acree looks forward to having professionalism and structure in his department from day one.
During the ceremony, Judge Alexander also swore in Major Mike Sandbrink and Deputy Michelle Kent to the department. Sandbrink was assigned the rank of major and will serve as second-in-command to the sheriff. Acree says Sandbrink and Kent are perfect examples of what he is looking for in his department.
Acree adds working with other law enforcement departments is vital.
He has received a lot of support since the announcement was made he was taking over the department.
Acree continues a tradition of law enforcement trailblazers in the county. Lurlene Humphries was the first woman elected sheriff in the state in 1933. Former Cadiz Chief of Police Cotrell Curlin was the first African-American named police chief in the state in 1964. Now, Acree is the first African-American to hold the office of Trigg County Sheriff.
He takes over the position after it was announced on August 6 that Jason Barnes was stepping down to retire. Acree will serve the final two-plus years of Barnes’ term and be eligible to run for a full four-year term in 2022.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced last week that Barnes was indicted on one count of third-degree unlawful transaction with a minor and one count of tampering with a witness.
Cameron reported a joint investigation by the Kentucky State Police, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky determined Barnes provided alcohol to a person under the age of 21 in February. They also discovered that several months later, during the investigation, he knowingly practiced what they called “deceit with the intent to affect the testimony of a potential witness.”
Barnes was served with an arrest warrant that day and was released from the Christian County Jail under a $2,500 bond.
View a gallery of photos from the ceremony by clicking here.
