Roger “Big Rog” Wilson passed away recently and his extended Knox County Sheriff’s Office family paid tribute to him today. A tribute that is certainly earned, “Big Rog” spent his entire career in corrections. For many employees, it is a dreaded job to be in corrections, it is the first step into a law enforcement career to begin in corrections and then graduate up to patrol, detective or whatever aspirations you have. For “Big Rog” Corrections was where he wanted to be.

Today Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones and the men and women of the Sheriffs Department named the Knox County Detention facility the Roger D. Wilson Knox County Sheriffs Office Detention Facility.

I have been close to the department for a number of years since 1998, having served as a volunteer jail inspector for the Knox County Commission and on the Knox County Sheriffs Department Merit System Council in a volunteer capacity in the early 2000’s. No other governmental entity is more closely aligned with each other and more of a family that KCSO. No elected leader serves their department as family the way Sheriff Jones and the immediate past Sheriff treated this department.

But to “Big Rog”, Thanks Brother, Knox County is better because you were ALWAYS a positive and encouraging friend. You took care of all of us. We love ya for it.