WALKER COUNTY – JASPER AL: The Walker County Sheriff was indicted by a Walker County Grand Jury. Which the Grand Jury was managed by the Walker County District Attorney, of which it appears there has been a fued between the Sheriff and District Attorney. However the Sheriff Department jailers were indicted federally for civil rights violations of inmates.
The indictment stems from Sheriff Walker allegedly hiring people not certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. The commission is managed by Alan Bennefield, former Police Chief in Ozark.
For a person to be certified by the Alabama Peace Officer’s Training Commission a person has to be (1) hired by a law enforcement agency prior to attending the academy. The only way to attend an Alabama Police Academy. (2) attend the academy for 18 consecutive weeks while on payroll with a law enforcement agency, (3) then ride with a field training officer prior to being released on the streets alone.
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith has been indicted, accused of knowingly employing six deputies who were not certified.
Smith, 41, is charged with six misdemeanor counts of violating the standards for employing law enforcement officers, according to indictments made public Monday.
“Sheriff Nick Smith had knowledge of (the men’s) ineligibility to hold the position as a school resource officer,” according to the indictment.
Walker County Chief Deputy Ralph Williams, 45, is charged with one misdemeanor count of providing false information to the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission, which certifies law enforcement officers in the state.
Smith, who is running for re-election, has been embroiled in a dispute with the Walker County District Attorney’s Office over the qualifications and eligibility of Deputy Andrew J. Neves-McDonald to serve as a law enforcement officer in Alabama or elsewhere.
The indictments were issued May 30. Smith and Williams were both booked into the Walker County jail at about 10 a.m. today, ( Monday ).
