Dorning reviews 2016 accomplishments

MADISON – As 2016 comes to an end, Madison County Sheriff Blake Dorning offered best wishes for a safe and prosperous New Year.

“The Madison County Sheriff’s Office looks forward to helping make 2017 a wonderful and safe year for our community, county and the nation,” Dorning said.

Dorning recalled “several successes this past year I am very proud of”:

* Placing the Pistol Permit application process online for faster and more efficient service to customers.

* Continuing to send deputies and supervisors to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute “to understand the significance between civil rights justice and law enforcement,” Dorning said.

* Upgrading our body-worn cameras and tasers to state-of-the-art models to allow transparency and accountability while working in Madison County communities.

* Providing training to deputies in ‘first aid’ for mental health. This innovation will allow the department to deal with those in our community who are in crisis. “The mental health issue is not just a local problem but a nationwide epidemic as well,” Dorning said.

* Providing diversity training to all deputies to better understand the transgender community and the Muslim/American Arab community and culture.

* Placing officer safety equipment in the hands of deputies to better equip them in the event of an active shooter confrontation.

* Providing leadership training to many new and veteran first- and second-line supervisors.

* Implementing new online application called Next Door (nextdoor.com) to maintain contact with more than 25,000 registered users in communities within Madison County to inform citizens of public safety information from the sheriff’s department.

* Graduating a department employee from the FBI National Academy. This 13-week command staff training prepares police executives to study in the areas of law enforcement, management, leadership and emerging trends.

* Continuing to hold Drug Take-Back initiatives throughout the county to collect old, outdated and unused Rx prescription medications to assist in getting drugs out of the hands of unauthorized users and off streets.

“As we approach the New Year, my commitment to the citizens of Madison County remains strong,” Dorning said. “I will continue to work with you to

improve the quality of life for the current and future residents in our county.”

“It is my hope that 2017 will be a year when members in our communities more often extend a helping hand to their neighbors, co-workers, family, friends and strangers in need,” Dorning said.

For more information, visit madisoncountysheriffal.org, Twitter: @mcsosheriffAL or Facebook.