Hamilton County, TN – This morning, Sheriff Jim Hammond hosted a reception for General Counsel Coty Wamp to acknowledge her dedicated service to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Hamilton County. August 1, 2022 is Coty’s last official day with the HCSO as she is leaving office to focus her efforts on her campaign.

“I am very proud of Coty and the tremendous asset she has been to this agency since she began two years ago. From day one, despite the many difficult tasks facing her as our first General Counsel, Coty hit the ground running and her talents and sheer determination far exceeded our expectations. Even though we will miss her, we wish her all the best in all her future endeavors,” stated Sheriff Jim Hammond.

Immediately upon taking office, General Counsel Wamp found herself extremely busy with the legal and contractual issues arising from the monumental transition of the Silverdale Detention Center from CoreCivic to a solely HCSO operation. Soon after, she would also be heavily involved in the eventual shuttering of the downtown Hamilton County Jail.

The shuttering of the downtown jail required its inmates to be transferred to the Silverdale Detention Center increasing its inmate capacity to over 1,000. With the transition from CoreCivic and the closing of the downtown jail came dozens of contracts, vendor agreements, permits, and other legal related issues that would need to be addressed.

Throughout the Silverdale transition, General Counsel Wamp guided the HCSO to successfully contract a multi-million dollar medical provider for the facility as well as negotiating additional contracts with the Blind Vendor Service (commissary), food services, and inmate phone systems, among numerous others.

“From the first day she took office as General Counsel, Ms. Wamp’s commitment to the HCSO and our law enforcement community has never wavered. As our first General Counsel, her efforts and legal acumen has set the bar high for her future successors and her contributions to this agency have been immeasurable. Coty’s presence and guiding counsel will be missed immensely at the Sheriff’s Office,” stated Chief Deputy Austin Garrett.

In addition to the aforementioned items, General Counsel Wamp has provided valuable in-service legal training for our personnel, assisted the Public Relations Office with media related inquiries, represented the Sheriff at Civil Service Board meetings, responded to subpoenas and public records requests, assisted with Internal Affairs, and served as a liaison between the courts, attorneys, and corrections services personnel.

Joining Ms. Wamp at today’s reception was her brother, Weston Wamp, and her fellow HCSO Executive staff.

Sheriff Jim Hammond, Chief Deputy Austin Garrett, and the men and women of the HCSO wish to recognize Ms. Wamp for her service to the HCSO and the citizens of Hamilton County and wish her well in all her future endeavors.