Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond was defiant Thursday as he responded at a news conference to complaints that his department has presided over incidents involving violence among inmates at the Silverdale Detention Center and violence involving deputies against members of the public.
Earlier this week, Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston announced he would request a U.S. Department of Justice probe into incidents of use of force by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and its operation of the jail.
“As sheriff of this county, my job is to protect the lives of my officers first, the citizens of this community second and the inmates third,” Hammond said Thursday morning from the Sheriff’s Conference Room at the Hamilton County Courts Building.”
“There are those who think that once you’re locked up you have to be given the same rights as when you’re outside,” he said. “That’s not true.”