Sheriff Nick Weems began his law enforcement career in 2002 under then Sheriff Jerry Blakemore as a Deputy. His focus has been on law enforcement ever since. Sheriff Weems found his passion in this line of work, combatting illegal narcotics, and became a K-9 officer in 2003. There Nick worked hand in hand with the TBI making numerous drug arrests and cleaning up the streets of both pushers and users.
In 2006, Nick took a break from the Sheriff's Office, still working as a part time deputy and a Boating Officer for TWRA. He returned in 2010, as Chief Deputy under Sheriff Tommy Hickerson.
As a former County Commissioner, Nick learned the value of making a budget and having to stick to it. As Chief Deputy, Nick put his knowledge of finances and budgeting to use by cutting wasteful spending and bringing the department forward, obtaining much needed equipment funding, by filing grants and using the savings for employee raises. He knows how hard these men and women have to work for our County and only wants the best from each of them.
In October 2015, upon Sheriff Hickerson’s passing, Nick became the interim Sheriff. In December of that same year, Nick was appointed by the County Commissioners to carry out the rest of Sheriff Hickerson's term, garnering 75% of the vote of the Commissioners. Sheriff Weems went to work, quickly implementing new programs and making even more budget cuts so officer wages could be increased even more. He knew what he had to do to get the best officers trained the right way. And he did it.
In the August 2016 General Election, Sheriff Weems was elected by the voters to complete the two years remaining of the four-year term Sheriff Hickerson had won two years prior. Weems carried 52% of the popular vote in a 3-man race.
Over the next two years, Sheriff Weems implemented more programs and made national headlines for his program “Not our Children”, when the Sheriff went head-to-head with the State Fire Marshall. Sheriff Weems fought hard at the state capital for change, and his persistence eventually paid off, resulting in Governor Haslam issuing an executive order that changed the law on door barricades. This program further resulted in calling on community support that made every school in Perry County safer by utilizing those barricades and putting an officer in every school. These programs are still in place, protecting our schools and the students who attend.
In 2018, Sheriff Weems won his second election for Sheriff garnering a much larger vote than in 2016, coming in at around 70% of the popular vote, in a two-man race. Since then, the Sheriff has worked diligently to move his office forward. He made himself a promise and constructed a state-of-the-art firing range, that he says every citizen would be proud to see. The Sheriff has a great relationship with his community. One might consider him strong and aggressive on things he’s passionate about, but he is a compassionate and caring Sheriff. The Sheriff helps all local government agencies by allowing inmate labor that has saved the county thousands of dollars.
Currently, the Sheriff plans to seek another term for the office of Sheriff this year, 2022. The Sheriff says, “We have lots of work to do and many goals to accomplish, before I hang up my hat.” Sheriff Weems is persistent, stands behind his men by providing the best training available to his officers, and cares about his community deeply. He has heard the call, and only wants to make a difference with Perry County, his home and family.
