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The Command Staff is comprised of 7 people that work closely with the Sheriff to administer the numerous divisions and personnel. These
individuals are comprised of various Division leaders, IT staff, and other support personnel. The Command Staff meets each week to discuss ongoing
departmental concerns, finance-oriented issues, technology directives, correctional administration, human resource initiatives, state as well as
local compliance, and public relations with press and media outlets.
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Sheriff Jim Hammond is the current Sheriff of Hamilton County and has been since August of 2008. His Sheriff’s Office personnel
consist of three-hundred and sixty eight full-time employees and approximately twenty part-time employees. His area of coverage is Hamilton County,
which is the fourth largest county in the state of Tennessee. As a Constitutional Elected Official of the State of Tennessee, Sheriff Hammond brings
over 40 years of law enforcement experience to his credit, including 15 Years as Chief Deputy. He is also a veteran of the US Navy, an international
police instructor, and former adjunct instructor for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is married to his wife of 40 years, Jeannie and
they have three children and 8 Grandchildren. Sheriff Hammond has a B.A. degree in psychology from Tennessee Temple University, as well as a B.S.
and Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
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Chief Deputy Allen Branum began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer with the Soddy-Daisy Police Department in January 1977.
As a patrol sergeant in 1985, he accepted employment with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff H.Q. Evatt and Chief Deputy Jim Hammond.
He worked in the Patrol, Narcotics and Major Crimes Divisions there until 1999. He retired to serve as Chief of Police in Soddy-Daisy where he served
for over seven years. He served also on the Soddy-Daisy Board of Commissioners in the early 1990's for five years with two of those years as mayor of
Soddy-Daisy. On September 1, 2006, Allen was sworn in as chief deputy under former Sheriff Billy Long. He was later appointed Sheriff of Hamilton
County after Sheriff Long was indicted on federal charges in February of 2008. In August 2008, Jim Hammond was elected as Hamilton County Sheriff
and asked Allen to remain as his Chief Deputy. Married to Donna Branum since February of 1981, they have two adult sons, Lee and Jay and have lived in
the Hamilton County/Soddy-Daisy area all of their lives. Allen and Donna are members of Christ Family Church (Church of God) in Soddy-Daisy where he
has served as a deacon. Allen has been involved in service to this community since his teenage years when he became a volunteer fireman in 1971.
He has been involved with several civic organizations over the years and currently serves as president of the Soddy-Daisy Firefighters Association.
Allen has completed in excess of 2,000 hours of specialized public safety training during his career including graduating from the first class of
the South East Command and Leadership Academy with the University of Tennessee in 2001.
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Deputy Chief Ron Parson is in charge of the Corrections Division. Counting all of his officers and staff, he has approximately
one-hundred fifty Corrections Officers and Clerks working for him. He runs the Hamilton County Jail, a four-hundred and eighty-nine person facility.
He is responsible for the health and well being of the inmates, as well as his own staff on a 24 hour, 365 day per year schedule. Deputy Chief Parson
also has over 37 years of law enforcement experience, starting his career with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office in 1973, then moving to
the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, and most recently as a 27 year veteran of the Chattanooga Police Department. Ron has a son and a daughter,
as well as a granddaughter.
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Director G.A. “Gino” Bennett is the Director of the Support Services Division which supervises Training, Records,
Communications, PIO and Community Relations, Accreditation, Grants, provides ongoing assistance and support to our Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)
and Mounted Patrol, as well as serving as the senior editor of The Roll Call, the department newsletter. He is also responsible for the ongoing
“special projects” that the Sheriff’s Office undertakes. Director Bennett has over 15 years of service in the Sheriff’s Office,
and as an honor graduate, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major in English, Bible and Psychology. He is married to Jeannie, his wife
of 44 years, and they have two children and one grandchild.
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Director Don Gorman is the Director of Administration which includes Human Resources (HR), Purchasing,
Finance and Information Technology (IT). He is responsible for a budget of over twenty-seven million dollars. Like the other Director,
he is responsible for several other “special projects” that the Sheriff’s Office undertakes. He is currently the Chairman
of the County Executive Safety Committee, and United Way Representative for the HCSO. Director Gorman has five years of Sheriff’s Office
experience, but has twenty-seven (27) years of military experience in the US Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard, retiring in 2000 as
a Master Sergeant. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Management from Covenant College. Director Gorman has four children
(three sons, Jeff, Nick and Taylor and a daughter, Gabrielle) as well as a grandson (Mason).
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Anne Brown is the Executive Secretary to both the Sheriff and Chief Deputy. She provides administrative support; scheduling and
clerical help to the Sheriff and Chief, as well as the rest of the Command Staff. She also assists in a variety of functions including Secretary
for the Command Staff Meetings and numerous “special duties” as required. Anne has only been with the HCSO since 2007, but is a
Certified Professional Secretary with over 30 years of administrative and secretarial experience. She is the mother of three sons and the
grandmother of three grand-daughters.
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HCSO Command Staff
600 Market Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 209-7000
Fax: (423) 209-7001
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