NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) -
Soon, East Texas counties will
be welcoming new officials as a result of the elections in November. East Texas
News talked with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff-elect Jason Bridges and his new
chief deputy, Stephen Godfrey about how they plan to fight crime once they take
office.
"We're very excited about
the future," Bridges said. "We're very excited about the possibilities we can
do to make a change."
A big change will come in five
days when Jason Bridges takes over as the new sheriff of Nacogdoches County.
Bridges is currently serving as the Constable for Precinct 4, and he has more
than 20 years of law enforcement experience.
When Bridges moves into the
Sheriff's Office on January first, the crackdown on drugs will be one of his
primary goals."
"I know the problems that
are in our community; I see it on a daily basis," Bridges said. "I care about
our citizens, and I care about our children."
Bridges said his new chief
deputy is going to play an essential right in the fight against drugs. Godfrey,
who has plenty of experience cracking down on narcotics, is ready for his new
role.
"We're also looking to stay up
with the current trends," Godfrey said. "Not only of narcotic trafficking
through our county, but also in the residual area of our county."
They both feel their efforts to
wipe out drugs will knock out other crimes as well.
"It's proven statistically that
over 70 percent of all crime is narcotic related," Godfrey said. "I believe
that the enforcement of narcotics in the community will begin to open the door
for other crimes."
Bridges said his future changes
and plans will only happen with proper guidance.
"It's going to come with leadership,"
Bridges said. "It's going to come with structure we are going to provide, and
it's going to come with training our law enforcement officers, so they can
better serve our citizens. We have to be more involved in knowing our citizens
and being out in our community."
Copyright 2012 KTRE. All rights reserved.
Nacogdoches County Sheriff-elect Jason Bridges
Stephen Godfrey
