Rocky Croy is announcing his candidacy for Sheriff of Carter County in the 2018 election.

Croy grew up in the Range community where he attended Range Elementary and then graduated from Elizabethton High school in 1978.

“I am married to a very supportive wife, Cindy Croy,” he said “Cindy and I have four children and six grandchildren that we’ve had the pleasure of raising in Carter County.”

In 1983 Croy graduated from the Donelson Police Academy and served as a law enforcement officer in the community for more than 34 years. He began his career at the Carter County Sheriff’s Office in 1983 under then-Sheriff Bill Crumley. During his tenure for the department he worked as a dispatcher, an officer in the jail, a patrol deputy and supervisor, and as a criminal investigator.

Earlier this month, Croy retired from the Sheriff’s Office so he could pursue his campaign to be elected Sheriff of Carter County.

“Carter County needs and deserves a full-time sheriff who will take time to listen to the citizens as well as be approachable and available,” Croy said. “The citizens deserve a Sheriff that works for all of the citizens and will hold himself and his department accountable for their actions.”

One of his goals if elected is to “bring a level of professionalism and leadership back to the department,” Croy said.

“It will be a department the citizens as well as the officers are proud of,” he said.

Two other top areas of focus will be decreasing employee turnover and proper handling and service of warrants.

“I will make sure warrants and all legal paperwork will be handled correctly, not just attempted once and then returned to the Clerk’s office,” Croy said. “The turnover rate is very high at the Sheriff’s Department from corrections to patrol.”

“I will focus my attention and efforts to stabilizing the department,” he continued. “Putting structure in the department and stabilizing the department is something that needs to be addressed and corrected, not ignored as it has been in the past. I will ”

Croy said his goal will be to having the best officers and personnel to serve the community and work toward ways to keep from losing experienced officers to other departments.

“Carter County will be a lot safer for its citizens with experienced and trained officers on patrol,” Croy said.

Croy said anyone with questions is free to contact him by e-mail at croyr01@gmail.com or at 423-972-7988 or they can visit his Facebook page Rocky Croy for Sheriff of Carter County.

“I look forward to returning to the Carter county Sheriff’s Department as your next Sheriff,” Croy said.