Sheriff Rodney Smith

Rodney Smith is a proud life-long resident of Coolville, Ohio. With his wife and son living in this great community, he has a personal stake in keeping Athens County safe in the present and the future. Sheriff Smith graduated from Federal Hocking High School in 1980 and from the Peace Officer Training Academy at Hocking College in 1987.

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Sheriff Smith has worn just about every “hat” during his tenure at the Athens County Sheriff’s Office. His journey began in 1987 as a Corrections Officer and within a year, was promoted to Deputy Sheriff. In 1997, Smith was promoted to Sergeant and was the first line supervisor of afternoon shift. Smith earned the title of Lieutenant of Operations in 2001 in which he served in an administrative capacity monitoring the day-to-day activities of the office. Smith finished his last four years as a Lieutenant of the Patrol Division on night shift.

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Retiring from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office in July of 2013 and now serving as Sheriff, it is safe to say Sheriff Rodney Smith has dedicated his life to serving and protecting the citizens of Athens County.

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As Sheriff, he has demonstrated his willingness to collaborate with all local law enforcement agencies and with the Commissioner’s Office, which has brought great benefits to the office and the citizens of Athens County. Maintaining these relationships are one of Sheriff Smith’s top priorities. Sheriff Smith is honored to continue to serve the citizens of Athens County.  He is also proud of the men and women that comprise the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.  Sheriff Smith and his staff are committed to making Athens County a safe place to work, live and play.