Diane Polson sees positive changes in Ovett, the community she has called home for 47 years. Once known as the “drug capitol,” she said the small town in southeast Jones County no longer holds that distinction.

And Polson is quick to credit the Jones County Sheriff’s Department for the change she sees in her community.

“We’ve had a big problem with meth labs in our community for years,” said Polson. “It’s always been bad because we don’t have a police department and people weren’t afraid to do certain things because there was no one around to arrest them.”

According to Polson and other Ovett residents, crime in the area has decreased since Jones County Sheriff Alex Hodge took office two years ago. Polson said the Sheriff’s Department sends deputies to patrol the area and it has “been good for the community.”

Gordon Pitts, owner of the Ovett Little General Store, in the heart of the community, agrees.

“Since Alex has taken office, we have had seen a decrease in theft,” said Pitts. “We used to have a lot of open drug traffic, but that’s gone. There were also a lot of drunk drivers in the area and people speeding up and down the roads. There was just no fear of law enforcement here.”

Pitts said he appreciates the work Hodge and his administration is doing to help the community, which recorded a population of 2,268 in 2009.

January marked Hodge’s second year of service as sheriff of Jones County. Since coming into office, Hodge has increased the number of deputies on the force.

“That’s why people are seeing us in their communities more regularly,” he said.

An increase in deputies is a move that is not only applauded by Jones County residents, but by veteran deputies as well.

Deputy Jerry Hutcheson, who has been with the department 27 years, recalls when there was only one deputy per shift. Now there are four deputies per shift.

“So I would say manpower has increased by leaps and bounds,” he said. “It has more than doubled.

“Now we can do a more effective job,” he said. “Now we have more backup manpower when needed. It’s a whole lot more safer than before.”

Hutcheson said one must remember that he is talking about how things were “some 20 odd years ago.” Law enforcement was placed on a back burner, he said, not only here in Jones County, but throughout the state. He’s glad things are changing.

“I’m appreciative of the job and the changes made by the sheriff,” he said.

Deputy Jason Buxton, who has been with the department since 2005, said one of the great things about the added manpower is the fact that Hodge has added specialty positions to the department. There is now a victims advocate to help and support crime victims and their families. An animal control officer has also been added to the force, as a juvenile officer.

“None of these positions are new hires,” said Hodge. “They are deputies who have been given additional assignments of specialized assignments. This helps us keep the deputies out in the field, patrolling the area that they are needed.”

Also aiding in efforts to keep deputies in the field is the addition of substations where they can go in and do their paper work without traveling back downtown. Substations are now in the Hoy and Moselle communities.

“The substations are just another tool for us to use to have a presence in the community,” said Hodge. “We’ve discovered that the best deterrent for crime is having a presence in the community.

“People are not going to be involved in as much crime if they know that we are going to be there patrolling the community,” he added. “They are either going to stop what they are doing or move somewhere else.”

Since taking office, Hodge has stressed the importance of teamwork both within the ranks of the department and within the community. He said the sheriff’s department wouldn’t be able to do the things it does without the help from the community. That’s why he stresses the importance of building the trust of the community.

Lt. Robert Stiles, who works in the narcotics division, said for a long time the community was reluctant to share information with the department. Fear and mistrust of deputies were a major factor.

“We began to do things around them to build their trust and let them know that we care and value their help,” he said. “Now we have more people coming to us and sharing information. That’s been a great improvement.”

Shuanita Weathersby, public information officer, said the department has built the trust of the community through programs like “Community Appreciation Day,” which is held in October of each year, and through the establishment of Neighborhood Watch programs. Seven Neighborhood Watch programs have started since Hodge took office.

Hodge doesn’t take credit for the improvements the departments has made in the past two years. He says those who work along beside him are the key.

“I say this all the time, God surrounded me with good people who love this community and its people,” he said. “I’m so thankful for the people he has placed in this department to work with me.”