Over the last few months, Grayson County law enforcement agencies have welcomed four officers/deputies to its rosters, with all four relocating from Edmonson County police agencies.
Leitchfield Police Officer Tamara Jupin arrived from the Brownsville Police Department while Clarkson Police Officer Jordan Jones, and Grayson County Deputies Wally Ritter and Andy Cast all formerly served with the Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office.
The move of Ritter, Jones and Cast followed current Edmonson County Sheriff Shane Doyle losing his bid for reelection in the May primary.
The four law enforcement officers have already proven their worth in Grayson County, as the quartet of officers have participated in multiple investigations and arrests since arriving.
Tamara Jupin, Leitchfield PD
Jupin, who served for four years on the Brownsville PD, did not waste any time making an impact in Leitchfield as she was either the “lead” officer, or has assisted in several felony arrests.
In late July, her sharp eye led to a traffic stop and arrest of a Leitchfield man on methamphetamine trafficking charges. Additionally, only days after beginning her LPD career, Jupin helped snag a wanted Leitchfield man.
“The Leitchfield Police Department is very fortunate to welcome Officer Tamara Jupin into our work force.
Officer Jupin has four years of experience as a road officer from Brownsville PD and has demonstrated a strong work ethic during her time at LPD,” LPD Sgt. Keith Harrell, Jupin’s third shift supervisor said. “Officer Jupin was hired by LPD on July 11, and during her time on third shift she has proven to work hard for this community by answering every call in a fair and professional manner.”
One of Jupin’s most noteworthy qualities as an officer is her level of activity, a fact not lost on Harrell.
“Officer Jupin is very proactive in her policing to ensure the safety of the public she serves,” Harrell said. “She exhibits a strong drive to work drug related cases and has made several felony arrests since her hire date. The Leitchfield Police Department encourages growth in every officer and is excited to see where Officer Tamara Jupin’s career in law enforcement will lead her.”
Jordan Jones, Clarkson PD
Jones served nearly a decade with the Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office and has had multiple cases bleed into Grayson County in that time, making him a known and admired deputy in the minds of Grayson County law enforcement.
Jones, who transferred to the Clarkson PD within the last couple of weeks, has already made a positive impact on the community with at least two major arrests — The first, fewer than 10 days ago when he arrested a Clarkson man on his third DUI and also located methamphetamine during the arrest.
“The Clarkson Police Department would like to welcome Officer Jordan Jones as the new patrol officer for the city of Clarkson. Officer Jones’ nearly 10 years of experience as an Edmonson County deputy sheriff will be an asset to the department’s commitment to fight drugs and to providing community oriented policing to the Clarkson area,” Clarkson Police Chief Buck Meredith said about Jones’ arrival.
Wally Ritter and Andy Cast, Grayson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Ritter was a longtime deputy and detective with the Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office and is well-known and respected by law enforcement personnel in Grayson County.
In his short time in Grayson County, Ritter has affected the arrest of a wanted Leitchfield woman on drug charges; apprehended a Caneyville felon on drug charges; and arrested an Anneta man who had a DUI crash.
“I have worked with Wally Ritter since I have been sheriff when he was detective at Edmonson County,” Grayson County Sheriff Norman Chaffins said. “When I saw an opportunity to have him come to us, I contacted the new sheriff in Edmonson County and he encouraged me to hire him. Other Grayson County units also recommended Wally, as he came with a strong work ethic and desire to simply make a community a better place to live.”
Cast, who served as a special deputy in Edmonson County, has assisted in multiple arrests since arriving in Grayson County, including assisting in the capture of a wanted Caneyville felon and working the scene where a man fled Clarkson police before attempting to elude law enforcement by hiding on St. Augustine Church Road.
Beginning this week, Cast is attending the Department of Criminal Justice Training in Richmond.
“Andy Cast came to us because he was recommended by Edmonson County Sheriff Shane Doyle,” Chaffins stated. “Andy already had an academy date with Edmonson County and was able to carry that date over to us; a process that would normally take several months to get someone hired only took us a couple of weeks.”
Having two new deputies, one an experienced, seasoned law enforcement officer, the other a promising young deputy, fall into the lap of the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office has proven fortuitous, especially during a time when overall law enforcement numbers are dropping around the nation.
“When seeking new hires we interview and try to pick the best candidate for the position of deputy. When a qualified candidate comes along that is already academy certified it cuts out over a year of waiting to get ‘boots on the ground.’ It was a win-win bringing those two over and we are excited to see Grayson County reap the benefits. They will fit in nicely here in GC,” Chaffins exclaimed.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
