Constable resigning to take Williamsburg Police Officer position

Whitley County’s Third District will be getting a new constable sooner than most voters anticipated.

During the May Primary election, incumbent Third-District Constable Dorman Patrick Jr. lost his bid for re-election to former Third-District Constable Jim Thornton by a vote of 722 to 1,208.

Patrick’s current term in office was slated to end on Dec. 31, and Thornton’s new term in office slated to start on Jan. 1.

Earlier this week Patrick submitted his notice of resignation from the constable position effective, Friday, Aug. 17, to the Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr.’s Office.

White said that he plans to swear Thornton into office during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled fiscal court meeting.

“As the constable elect, he is the obvious choice,” White noted.

Patrick is expected to start work early next week as a Williamsburg Police Officer.

Chief Wayne Bird said Thursday that Patrick had just finished the final phase of his Police Officer Professional Standards (POPS) certification, which includes a physical fitness test, suitability/psychological exam, drug screening, polygraph test and background investigation.

Bird said he knows what the results are, but that he can’t officially hire Patrick until he physically receives the report, which he expects to be early next week.

Bird said that he anticipates Patrick starting work sometime next week as a Williamsburg police officer.

Patrick will be taking the position previously held by Officer Mike Taylor, who resigned to go back into truck driving.

Although Williamsburg is hiring officers to serve as school resource officers at the University of the Cumberlands, Bird said that Patrick would instead serve as a road officer for the department.