One of the first times Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond was anxious during his career as a law enforcement officer, he'd been called to a home where a woman claimed there was an intruder in the basement.
She told Hammond - then much younger - that she'd cracked open the door to the basement, unloaded her pistol, and then slammed the door shut.
Hammond descended into the basement.
"Turns out, it was a cat on a shelf making some ruckus," Hammond told a crowd of about 50 students at Red Bank High School early Thursday morning. "But yes, you do get nervous. Law enforcement is 90 percent boredom and 10 percent sheer terror."
A student's question prompted Hammond to tell the cat story Thursday, as part of a new program the sheriff's office is launching designed to increase dialogue and understanding among law enforcement and high school and middle school students.
The sheriff's visit to Red Bank was the first of many schools Hammond hopes to speak at in the coming months. He plans to discuss the role of law enforcement in a community, how students can face issues such as drug and alcohol use, and the possibility of law enforcement as a career.
"I think there is a general trend, especially among teenagers, to think police are the enemy," Hammond said. "And we're not. We're here to say to them, 'We're here to help you.'"
Hammond added that the allegations that school officials helped cover up the assault of a freshman basketball player in Ooltewah also prompted the sheriff's office to take a more active role in schools. He also will meet with each school's principal during the visits to hear about any particular problems at the school.
Shane Feeney, a senior at Red Bank High School, said he thinks the program is a good idea.
"I think it's great to have law enforcement in the school," he said. "People are intimidated by law enforcement, and when you have a personal connection it makes it all that much easier."
Hammond plans to visit about three schools each month, spokesman Matt Lea said. The new program is designed to complement the sheriff's long-established cadre of school resource officers.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow @ShellyBradbury.