Consistency and communications. Those were the two issues with which Sheriff Kelly Cole came into office Jan. 1, 2021.

“They were my priorities in 2020 and they remain priorities today,” he acknowledged. Cole described a Sheriff’s Office where the daily execution of law enforcement duties is as consistent as the sunrise, and the state of communications such that the Wood County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) becomes ready partners with any agency.  He noted that without consistency and communications in policing, communities suffer. 

While Cole recounted progress made in both areas over his first term, he admitted that consistency and communications can always be further improved. 

Cole is the first Wood County sheriff in 40 years to earn a second term.

“This second term,” Cole stated, “has allowed us to additionally focus on some infrastructure needs.” This included jail improvements, radio network coverage and vehicle fleet upgrades.

Behind all of that is, of course, people. The Sheriff’s Office is one of the county’s largest employers. “We have 90 employees,” Cole advised.  That number includes 38 sworn officers, five of which are court bailiffs. 

“We run 12-hour shifts with a deputy on patrol around the clock in each of our five precincts,” said Cole. A shift sergeant rounds out that patrol force.   

The effectiveness of law enforcement in any area is greatly enhanced by familiarity with that area. For the WCSO that familiarity starts at the top. 

Cole is a 1982 graduate of Alba-Golden High School and transitioned directly from Alba-Golden to the East Texas Police Academy. He began his career as a patrolman with the Alba Police Department. 

Over his 42-year career in policing, he has held positions in practically every step along the way from traffic patrol to criminal investigations, to deputy, sergeant, captain and chief of police – all of it in Wood County.

The sheriff will need every bit of that familiarity to continue to maintain good order and discipline in the county. 

As he stated, “Every type of crime that exists in Dallas also exists here, just on a smaller scale.”  

Much of that crime is tied to trafficking in all its forms. Cole explained that narcotics drives much of the crime in the county, especially burglary and rural theft. Then there is human trafficking and issues such as family violence. 

Geography also plays a big role. With four major highways crisscrossing the county, and I-20 and I-30 bounding the area to the south and north respectively, Wood County can be used as a secondary route for transport of illicit material.

“Criminals have maps, too,” Cole shared.  

“That is a good example of how inter-agency communication can pay off,” he advised. Cole explained how an operation increasing presence along other trafficking routes in East Texas might cause an increase in trafficking through Wood County. Positive communications, in advance between agencies, then allows the correct resources to be placed in a timely fashion.

In between answering a handful of calls and messages during the interview (an indicator that communications are indeed working), Cole spent some time discussing measures residents can take to avoid rural theft.    

“Activity is a big deterrent,” he began, “if a property appears deserted or inactive over a period of time, criminals will eventually get into it to see what they can steal.” 

The use of lights and installation of security cameras (or game cameras) can also have a deterrent effect. 

Having equipment serialized or even photographed with a distinctive mark, can pay off in any recovery of stolen goods.

“We are tied in with 90% of all pawn shops with the Lead On-line program,” Cole advised, and have some success in recovering stolen items. These days, he suggested, it just makes good sense to document one’s equipment.

The infrastructure upgrades which Cole mentioned are most visible with the jail improvements. The increase of the jail capacity (from 150 to 180) should remove the need to out-source prisoners – a very costly endeavor.

Cole hopes to have the jail project, which also brings the facility up to building standards, complete by the end of the year.

The use of a second communications tower has greatly aided deputies, especially when dismounted. Also, acquiring newer patrol vehicles in a phased manner greatly improved both the effectiveness of response and morale of the force. 

Lesser-known improvements have included construction of a stray dog kennel adjacent to and behind the jail.

The new holding pen can hold 50 dogs. Residents can contact the Sheriff’s Office and arrange for a time to view the dogs for possible adoption.   

An inmate-tended vegetable garden, an initiative of former Sheriff Bill Skinner, was also recently resurrected. The WCSO purchased a welding machine as an inmate work program. Cole explained that they try to teach skills along with maintenance activities of the office. 

The work of inmate crews with non-profit organizations and cemetery maintenance throughout the county is commonplace.  

With the recent acquisition of the old tax office on E. Goode St., the Sheriff’s Office will become even more visible. The building, most recently the former Veterans Office, is being modified to function as a training facility for the Sheriff’s Office.

Behind all of these initiatives is the belief that the WCSO is above all else a service organization. Cole is not embarrassed to speak about what Wood County means to him. 

“Wood County is family, it’s home, it’s heritage,” he shared, “… the Sheriff’s Office is here not just to catch the crooks, but to truly help the residents of the county.”  Being visible in the community, Cole offered, is a huge part of their charter. “We need to talk to folks,” he stated.