Deputy Chief Ron Parson has been named to oversee the Hamilton County Jail.A deputy chief in the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has been moved from supervisor of patrol operations to oversee the Hamilton County Jail.
On Sunday, the Times Free Press reported that Deputy Chief Ron Parson was investigated by internal affairs for having a jailer complete college coursework and write a paper for him in a command leadership program. Parson used the college credit to maintain his state law enforcement certification.
In a news release, Sheriff Jim Hammond said Parson is being moved is done "keeping budget constraints in mind and a need for Command Staff presence in the jail and as this position has been unfilled since the death of Chief Richard Shockley," according to spokeswoman Janice Atkinson.
"This is a fitting move as Chief Parson has prior experience overseeing the jail, when he served as interim Chief of Corrections after former Chief Jim Hart left the Sheriff's Office for a new position," the release stated.
It stated that Parson will keep the same job classification and salary of $71,455.
The Times Free Press story noted that Parson's salary had increased by about $16,000 in five years and that he is one of the highest-paid members of the sheriff's department.
The release stated that the patrol supervisor position, whose official title is chief of uniform services will not be filled until Hammond can look at the new budget and manpower issues.
In the interim, personnel who previously answered to Chief Parson will now report to Chief Deputy Allen Branum, according to the release.