The Greene County Sheriff’s Office recently expanded its number of deputies.

The County Board of Supervisors approved a ninth deputy position and hired Jefferson Police Captain Heath Enns. Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams tells Raccoon Valley Radio the most important reason why they needed to add another deputy was due to the increased volume of calls for service, which he says is up to 3,000 per year, compared to 1,500-2,000 calls for a couple of years ago. Since both the police department and sheriff’s office are under the same roof at the law enforcement center, Williams says he isn’t actively trying to lure officers away. However, he explains why he wanted to hire Enns.

“With Heath Enns in particular, he has had a job offer with another county (sheriff’s office), and me wanting to keep good officers here, and talking with the Supervisors over what we could do to help keep the good ones here. So we agreed to offer him a job here to keep him and his family here in Greene County.”       

Supervisor Chair John Muir notes when other former police departments in Grand Junction, Scranton and Churdan disbanded and the sheriff’s office took over law enforcement coverage, no additional deputies were added back then. He adds there will be minimal cost to the county taxpayer to fulfill an additional salary from the sheriff’s office budget and since there is already a patrol vehicle for Enns to have, no additional vehicle cost is needed.

Having worked with the police department for over ten years and in a part-time capacity with the sheriff’s office for nine years, Enns talks about how the two entities work together.

“Under Sheriff Williams is our relationship with the police department and sheriff’s office, we’re almost one unit. The information sharing between us is awesome and us being in the same building really helps us out on that. It’s just like having a roommate you’ve been with for some time. You kind of get to the point you’re hanging out and you know each other mannerisms and it works out better in the long run for the citizens of Greene County.”

Enns will start his new position as a full-time deputy on August 25th.