BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has welcomed a new deputy to its ranks. Deputy Chris Sesco, a 27-year-old Inez native and father of one, officially began his job Oct. 1, 2023.
Sesco’s appointment comes at a critical time for the department, which is facing a resurgence of drug-related crimes and a severe staffing shortage.
In reflecting on his new role, Deputy Sesco expressed a desire to serve his community.
“I hope to help out and make a difference—help people who need help,” he said.
Sesco’s work schedule is demanding; he covers night shifts five days a week and remains on-call around the clock. Despite the rigorous demands, he has shown a positive attitude towards his responsibilities.
The challenges of the job are not lost on the new deputy. He acknowledged the stressful nature of his duties.
“Some calls are rough, dangerous situations,” Sesco remarked, emphasizing the growing concern over drug-related issues that are worsening.
Sheriff John Kirk expressed his appreciation for Sesco’s addition to the team, noting his proactive approach before becoming a deputy. Sesco had volunteered for the last couple of years, assisting in community events and accompanying deputies.
“He showed interest and wanted to go to the academy,” Kirk said.
Sesco is slated to begin formal training at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice in Richmond starting in April. This training will increase the number of certified deputies in the department, a goal of Sheriff Kirk.
The sheriff candidly spoke about the difficulty of recruiting certified deputies, citing competitive job markets and limited resources as hurdles.
The staffing issue has placed an immense burden on the department’s operations. Sheriff Kirk explained that the ideal number of personnel for efficient operation is seven, “but five would be great.”
The lack of deputies not only affects workload but also poses safety concerns. Kirk recounted a harrowing experience of responding to a late-night call without backup when the temperature outside was 10 degrees. He arrived at the scene where an alarm was going off and had to park at the foot of the hill because the driveway was ice-covered.
“I had to walk up the hill,” said the sheriff. “If I got up there and fell, then I might have frozen to death because no one would have known to come to me.”
He added, “We need two people to go out on calls like that. There was an alarm going off and motion inside the garage. You don’t know if you’re going to have a burglar or if someone has fallen, a homeowner. You might have to kick a door in. You just don’t know. For every single call, you should have at least two deputies. It’s just too dangerous.”
Currently, the department operates with a skeletal crew. Chief Deputy Chris Kidd was managing day duties Monday. The sheriff was grateful that volunteer Ernie Fannin could ride with Kidd. Meanwhile, Sesco was the only deputy scheduled for the night shift, leaving Sheriff Kirk himself to step in to assist with calls.
“I try to work both day and night because you don’t know what kind of call the deputies will have to go on,” said the sheriff. “It’s just too dangerous.”
Kirk is hoping to hire two additional certified deputies.