Retiring Crook County ‘top cop’ Hensley looks back

Crook County Sheriff Jim Hensley is hanging up his hat at the end of this month, after serving as the top cop in the county for five years — and in the area’s law enforcement for decades longer.

Hensley has been in law enforcement for more than 33 years and says because of medical reasons, it was time for him to step down.

“You need to be there for the community. If they have an issue, you need to be there,” Hensley said this week in a wide-ranging interview with NewsChannel 21..

Hensley was elected to the sheriff’s position in 2011 and is currently serving what was supposed to be just the first year of his second term.

Hensley started his law enforcement career with the Prineville Police Department and then transferred to the Crook County Sheriff’s Office.

He said retiring early was a very hard decision for him to make, because he loves serving his community.

He said deputies would worry about him if he got injured while responding to a call. Hensley said he didn’t want to be a distraction for his deputies while out in the field.

“It is about making this organization the best that it can be, as a group team effort instead of one individual. It’s a team here, to be the best we can for this community,” Hensley said.

Currently, the sheriff oversees 12 deputies and eight correctional officers, who take care of the depleted county jail.

As many law enforcement agencies around the country are being scrutinized because of their officers actions, Hensley says it’s important his officers are equipped with dash cams and body cameras, to help with any evidence.

“Body cams and other cameras, you have to understand, do not tell the whole the picture. You necessarily cannot see everything that is going on,” he said.

Hensley said although body cameras can help defend their case, it can also be more of a problem.

Another issue, Hensley said, is finding enough jail space to house inmates. As the county has grown in population, the jail began to fall apart.

Four jail cells are trying to fit 16 inmates, with only one shower for everyone. All female inmates are bused to the Jefferson County jail, as Crook County tried to find a solution to its long-time problem.

“It’s a big issue right now. You try to decide, ‘Do you rent more jail beds from Jefferson County or do we build our own jail?'” Hensley said.

The sheriff said the cost of renting more beds in Jefferson County would equal the same amount as building a jail facility, in the long run.

Hensley said it’s not about housing these inmates, but providing services for them to get back on their feet.

” A lot of them have come back to me, sometimes, many years later, and come up to me and thanked me for the way they were treated when they were arrested, and some them said, flat out, ‘You saved my life,'” he said.

Hensley has seen a lot during his career, but will never forget the community where he came from.

It is a legacy he wants the community to remember — that he cared about everyone living in Crook County.

“They knew that if they wanted to come talk to me that I would be there to help them in any way that I could.” he said.