What Putnam Co. TN Sheriff does

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) is the county government law enforcement agency for Putnam County, Tennessee, headquartered in Cookeville at 421 East Spring Street. Established in 1872 and operating under an elected Sheriff (currently Eddie Farris, sworn in August 2014), the agency provides full-spectrum law enforcement services including patrol, criminal investigations, corrections, court security, school resource officers, and special operations (SWAT, K-9, aviation/drone). The Putnam County Jail operates with 737 beds (expanded via a 110,851 sq ft addition completed in 2024) housing an average of 400 inmates, including federal pre-trial detainees under U.S. Marshals and ICE contracts and state inmates under Tennessee contract arrangements. The Juvenile Detention Center adds 22 beds for inmates under 18. Technology assets include a LiveScan fingerprint system, a Reality Based Scenario Simulator for deputy training, aviation/drone capabilities, K-9 units, and a dedicated training center in Baxter (dedicated March 2021). The agency is TLEA-accredited (2017, re-accredited 2021 and 2024) and the jail holds Tennessee Corrections Institute accreditation (2023).

Funding sources include county tax revenue, federal and state inmate housing contracts, commissary sales (Vendengine partnership), inmate phone system commissions (City Tele Coin partnership), and minor fees such as $5 accident reports and $5 fingerprint cards. Service delivery combines field patrol across six districts, walk-in public services, telephone, online inmate portals, and community engagement programs (Citizen's Academy, Farm Watch launched 2015, Neighborhood Watch, Project Lifesaver, Senior Safety Patrol). Customer relationships span Putnam County residents (83,000+ full-time, 100,000+ during work/academic sessions), local municipal police departments (Algood, Baxter, Monterey) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (which use the PCSO jail for processing), federal agencies (U.S. Marshals, ICE), and schools (with SRO coverage in every public school). The agency operates approximately 270 staff including 94 sworn deputies, 11 dispatchers, 9 administrative, 25 part-time, and 131 jail personnel.

Name

Putnam Co. TN Sheriff

Legal name

Putnam County Sheriff's Office

Website

https://putnamcountytnsheriff.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is the county government law enforcement agency for Putnam County, Tennessee, providing patrol, corrections, criminal investigations, school resource officers, and community safety programs to approximately 83,000 residents from its Cookeville headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

County Law Enforcement Services

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Correctional Institutions (922140)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry) (BPAIAFAE)

Keywords

• County law enforcement
• Corrections services
• Criminal investigations
• Patrol operations
• School resource officers

Headquarters

HQ city

Cookeville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from taxpayer sources through county budget allocations
2. Federal Inmate Housing Contract: Contract with U.S. Marshals to house up to 110 pre-trial federal inmates; contract with ICE for 36 beds
3. State Inmate Housing: Revenue from housing approximately 100 state inmates
4. Inmate Phone System: Revenue generated from inmate phone system managed through City Tele Coin partnership
5. Facility Commissary Sales: Revenue from commissary sales to inmates through Vendengine partnership, plus medical co-pay system

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Putnam County Sheriff's Office provides countywide law enforcement services including patrol, emergency response, criminal investigations, corrections/detention operations, court security, and special operations (SWAT, K-9, aviation/drone). The agency also runs community programs such as School Resource Officers in every public school, Senior Safety Patrol, Farm Watch, Neighborhood Watch, and Project Lifesaver, plus inmate services (commissary, phone) through third-party partnerships.

Product overview

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office provides a comprehensive suite of law enforcement services and programs. The agency operates multiple divisions including Field Operations (Patrol), Corrections (Jail), Special Operations (SWAT, K-9, Aviation), Criminal Investigations, and School Resource Officers. Supporting infrastructure includes the Sheriff Eddie Farris and Major Jim Eldridge Training Center with a covered outdoor firearms range and indoor classrooms, as well as a Reality Based Scenario Simulator for immersive deputy training. Community-focused programs include the Sheriff's Senior Safety Patrol for seniors, School Resource Officers in every public school, and community programs such as Citizen's Academy, Farm Watch, Neighborhood Watch, and Project Lifesaver. Inmate services include commissary and phone services managed through Vendengine and City Tele Coin partnerships, with the jail having capacity for 737 inmates and housing both state and federal inmates under contract.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sheriff's Senior Safety Patrol: A safety initiative to ensure senior citizens of Putnam County are getting their basic needs met, providing simple check-ins.
• Senior Safety Patrol
• Motor Unit
• Citizen's Academy
• Citizen's Resource Group
• Farm Watch
• Neighborhood Watch
• Project Lifesaver

Products and services

• Field Operations (Patrol)
• Corrections (Putnam County Jail)
• Special Operations (SWAT, K-9, Aviation/Drone)
• School Resource Officers (SRO)
• Criminal Investigations Division
• Records Services
• Community Involvement Programs
• Sheriff's Senior Safety Patrol
• Fingerprint Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 737 bed capacity with 2024 expansion of 110,851 sq ft
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Putnam County Cattleman's AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership for Farm Watch program launched in 2015 to address crimes against farmers. Association members collaborate on surveillance, information sharing, and protection of property, equipment, and livestock.
• Tennessee Association of Chiefs of PolicecoreOthers · 1 January 2014Accreditation body for Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (TLEA). PCSO application accepted September 5, 2014; accreditation achieved December 6, 2017; re-accredited 2021 and 2024.
• VendenginecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to provide commissary services to Putnam County inmates. Kiosks in visitation area allow cash or card deposits for inmate commissary accounts. Online commissary access also available.
• City Tele CoincoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to provide phone card services to Putnam County inmates. Kiosks available for purchasing phone cards; online phone time purchases also supported.
• 13th Judicial District Drug Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCriminal Investigation Division has investigators assigned to the 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force for combating street-level narcotics and vice-related crimes.
• FBI Violent Crimes Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCriminal Investigation Division investigators assigned to FBI Violent Crimes Task Force for specialized investigations and resources.
• U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCriminal Investigation Division participates in U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force for apprehension of fugitives.
• Pilot Club of CookevilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Project Lifesaver program helping track and rescue individuals with cognitive disorders (Alzheimer's, Autism, Down's Syndrome). Pilot Club raises funds for transmitters worn by participants and receivers used to locate them.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rutherford County Sheriff's Office (TN): Tennessee county sheriff's office operating patrol, corrections, and investigations in a comparable mid-sized Tennessee county; most direct peer given shared state accreditation regime, similar jail/corrections operations, and overlapping federal inmate-housing contracts.
• Robertson County Sheriff's Office (TN): Middle Tennessee sheriff's office operating in a similar rural-adjacent geography with comparable patrol coverage, corrections operations, and community programs; directly relevant peer for state-level comparison.
• Wilson County Sheriff's Office (TN): Adjacent Tennessee sheriff's office providing comparable patrol, jail operations, and community programs in a similarly-sized Middle Tennessee county; competes with PCSO for federal inmate-housing contracts and state-level accreditation standing.
• Sevier County Sheriff's Office (TN): Tennessee sheriff's office providing similar corrections, patrol, and tourism-area law enforcement; operates under the same TLEA accreditation standards and serves a comparable geographic/population profile to PCSO.
• Madison County Sheriff's Office (TN): Mid-sized Tennessee sheriff's office offering parallel patrol, jail, and community services; comparable organizational structure, headcount range, and reliance on federal inmate-housing revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Knox County Sheriff's Office (TN): Major Tennessee sheriff's office with comparable corrections and patrol operations; broader geographic and budget scale, but operates under the same TLEA accreditation regime and similar state/federal inmate-housing framework as PCSO.
• Davidson County Sheriff's Office (Nashville, TN): Tennessee's largest metropolitan sheriff's office operating the Davidson County Correctional Facility and broader court-security apparatus; relevant as a larger-scale benchmark for jail operations, federal contracts, and community policing programs in Tennessee.

Others

• Tennessee Department of Correction: State-level corrections authority that contracts with PCSO to house ~100 state inmates; relevant counterparty and ecosystem reference, not a competitor, since TDOC operates the broader state corrections framework.
• CoreCivic: Privately-operated corrections and detention-services company; not a direct competitor but operates in the same federal/state inmate-housing space, providing a reference point for the commercial value of similar bed-day revenue streams PCSO generates.
• Tennessee Sheriffs' Association: Industry association representing Tennessee sheriff's offices including PCSO; relevant ecosystem participant since Sheriff Farris served as its President, and the body administers the TLEA accreditation framework under which PCSO operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/putnamcountytn
• Facebookfacebook.com/putnamcountysheriff
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/putnam-county-sheriffs-office
• Instagraminstagram.com/putnamcountysheriff

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Putnam Co. TN Sheriff