Kitchens running for Coryell County Sheriff

By LYNETTE SOWELL

 

Another Coryell County native has announced he will be running for the position of Coryell County sheriff.

 

James Kitchens is currently a Coryell County deputy sheriff and works as a community services deputy. Kitchens works with non-violent inmate laborers, who help non-profit organizations with tasks like mowing, maintenance and restoration, and clean-up. He is also the county’s coordinator for Neighborhood Watch.  

 

“I am committed to a community- based law enforcement style. I believe that crime prevention programs such as Neighborhood Watch  will add a defensivevalue in deterring crime from our communities,” Kitchens writes in his bio. “Community policing is about forming  meaningful partnerships with our neighbors and communities to create long-term solutions  against crime. As our community grows, I am committed in creating crime prevention programs to protect our county citizens especially our  children.”

 

The graduate of Gatesville High School has studied at Central Texas College, McLennan Community College, Sam Houston, Texas A&M, Texas State and Austin Community College. Kitchens previously worked for the  Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Institutional Division for 10 years where  he reached the rank of Lieutenant of Corrections. He also worked for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office for 11  years. When he left Travis County,  he was the was Community Services and Outreach deputy sheriff, where he was responsible for community  education about crime prevention  methods, and also taught programs in schools including stranger danger,  anti bullying, Alive@25 – which is a  teen defensive driving program. He also instructed and certified other law enforcement officers in the state in crime prevention methods and programs, and is a certified TCOLE instructor in firearms and  intermediate weapons. He is also the past State Coordinator for National Night Out and is a member and past president of the Central Texas Crime Prevention Association.

 

He has four goals, should he be elected sheriff: Seeking a modern law enforcement agency by continued staff training, professionalism and community interaction; reduce the “rampant drug problem” in Coryell County; reduce the dangerous driving during peak hours on FM 116 and many roads in Coryell  County; and he also plans to work with with the county commissioners,  district and county courts to reduce the jail population or work on solution to the growing inmate population in Coryell  County.

 

“The Sheriff comes from the people  and serves the people,” Kitchens added.  “One of the greatest things about being elected Coryell County Sheriff is being able to run this agency the way the  people want you to run it. I am not running  against any one person, but for this office.”  

 

Kitchens is a member of Cedar Ridge Church of Christ and Masonic  Lodge #197. His father, Gerald, previously  served as county sheriff for 16 years, and his mother also previously worked at the sheriff’s office.