Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office
The first known Sheriff of Lauderdale County was Sheriff L.W. Pennington in 1835. Since that time, there have been thirty-five sheriffs. Sheriff William D. "Billy" Sollie has been Lauderdale County’s Sheriff since 1996. He is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in Lauderdale County. The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for law enforcement functions within the county. The City of Meridian Police Department patrols within the city limits with assistance from the Sheriff’s Department.
The mission of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office is to maintain social order and provide professional law enforcement services to citizens in the community, within prescribed ethical, budgetary, and constitutional constraints. This department strives to enforce the law and maintain order in a fair and impartial manner, recognizing the need for justice, and consistent appearance of justice. The Sheriff recognizes that no law enforcement agency can operate at its maximum potential without supportive input from the citizens it serves. The department actively solicits and encourages the cooperation of all citizens to reduce and limit the opportunities for crime and to assist in bringing to justice those that break the law.
The law enforcement division has 61 deputies and the correction division has 63 Detention Officers. The agency utilizes the latest hardware, software, and computer applications such as Facebook, Crime Stoppers 24/7, LeadsOnline, VINE notification network, Kimble’s Commissary phone ordering service, Securus, an inmate automated information service, and SecureTech, a panic alarm system in the courthouse and annex building.
The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office Organizational Structure consists of four divisions that include:
- Patrol/Major John Calhoun
- Criminal Investigations/Major Charles Pickett
- Drug Task Force/Major Greg Lea
- Detention Facility/Major Melissa McCarter
Each major reports to Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun, who reports directly to Sheriff Billy Sollie.
