Wally Olson and Mason Bynum

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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334-790-1729
Date: Sep 18 2021 10:03 AM

DALE COUNTY:       This article is written about Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson and Dale County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mason Bynum.

Dale County has 563 square miles. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,326 miles.

Dale County has several municipal police departments and several municipalities without police departments. The county seat for Dale County is Ozark. The City of Ozark is 34.34 square miles.

GRIMES:   No municipal law enforcement.  1.251 square miles

NAPIER FIELD:   A municipal police department. I know they have a Chief of Police and perhaps one officer. Not full time on duty.  .03 square miles.

MIDLAND CITY:   A municipal police department. They have a police chief, several officers and a dispatcher. For some reason they refuse to go under Ozark - Dale County 911 and have their own dispatcher. Midland City has 6.05 square miles.

PINCKARD:   Has a municipal police department. Not full time on duty. 5.34 square miles.

NEWTON:  Has a municipal police department. Not full time on duty. 14.28 square miles. 

DALEVILLE:    Has a municipal police department. They have a full time dispatcher and for some reason they refuse to go to Ozark - Dale County 911 and have their own dispatcher. The police department is full time. 14.14 square miles.

LEVEL PLAINS:    Has a municipal police department. The department has several police officers, which are not full time. 3.066 square miles.

CLAYHATCHEE:    Has a part time police department. 2.718 square miles.

ARITON:    As far as I know Ariton does not 5.89 square miles.

There are communities in Dale County, but unless I have missed one, these are the only official incorporated agencies in Dale County.

All municipalities in Dale County, combined, total about 52.7 square miles. Remember there is 563 square miles. Take the communities out of the total, leaves about 510 square miles total which falls totally under Dale County Sheriff responsibilities.

The Sheriff ”is” the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the County. The District Attorney is the “ Chief Prosecutor “ of the county.

With the exception of Ozark Police Department and Daleville Police Department, any significant crime that occurs in any municipality, the Sheriff Department has the responsibility of being the lead law enforcement investigative agency. And the Sheriff has the power and authority to come in and take over the investigation anywhere in the 563 square miles of Dale County, no matter if incorporated or not, no matter if they have a police department or not. ( PINCKARD Police Chief Lowell Williams needs to clearly understand that as much as he bad mouths Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson. But Lowell is just a plain, in my opinion, idiot ).

THERE ARE NO ISSUES that has caused the above. But here is my point.

On Friday morning Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson and Dale County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mason Bynum, woke up and went about their daily duties. Both have beautiful wives and children. Both Sheriff Olson and Chief Deputy Bynum are very much a part of their families daily activities and lives.

Both worked all day. What time they left the office, I have no clue, but probably late that afternoon.

Under their command is a county jail. This is like a small city. And a daily chore to manage with COVID.

They leave the office and perhaps carried their family o one of the ballgames or out to dinner.

And then about 12:44 AM this morning the call his Ozark-Dale County 911 of a person shot. Both Sheriff Olson and Chief Bynum left their families and respond. And I know for a fact at 5:00 AM were still out working the details of the gunshot.

Dale County Sheriff Department has about 20 deputies ( estimate ) to cover patrol, criminal investigation, vice, administrative. This count of 20 include Sheriff Olson and Chief Deputy Bynum.

They do not have the luxury of a huge Sheriff Department, yet has 563 square miles to cover.

Take Highway 167 south of Enterprise at Dale - Geneva County line to Highway 10 at Dale - Barbour County line. This is south of Clayhatchee.

It takes like 57 minutes from the south end of Dale County to the north end. A estimated 34 miles from Dale - Houston County line to Dale - Coffee County line on Highway 231.

ALL OF THIS SAID ...

You have like 20 deputies to cover 563 miles. It is constant that Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson and Dale County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mason Bynum assist the deputies in covering calls and major scenes. 

The men and women of Dale County Sheriff Department are a great team that worked with Sheriff Olson and Chief Deputy Sheriff Bynum. They are a team. Each works hand in hand With each other.

But the residents of Dale County Alabama are lucky to have men the caliber of Wally Olson and Mason Bynum serving and protecting them. The amount of time they put in, also taking into account they place their lives on the line for citizens and guests of Dale County.

Olson and Bynum are lucky because they have a team with them, law enforcement officers and support staff, that serve with them. The team serves shoulder to shoulder with Olson and Bynum and way - way - way above what they are paid.

Today, at 5 AM, it made me realize even more how much these two men do, and hours they have to spend away from their families. Not one emergency that occurs every makes an appointment.

IN CLOSING

To Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson, Dale County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mason Bynum, to each and every Deputy Sheriff, Administrative Assistants, Clerical and Correctional Officers ... as someone who listens to the radios and see’s what each of you do, I want to say THANK YOU.

And I felt the citizens of Dale County need to know what each of you do and how much time you spend away from your families to serve the citizens and guests. And you have a great team who serves with you

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