Hayden retired June 30, and Detective Matt Carter was sworn in as the new sheriff. Carter ran unopposed and won his first term in office last week. Carter's move to sheriff had created an opening in the department, and his goal since day one has been to continue or increase vigorous drug enforcement in the county, so he needed a third drug detective.
Prior to that, Carter and Hayden had both participated in meetings with Greg Bunch of the DEA, since the agency was opening a post of duty office in Paducah. When the DEA offered Carter the opportunity to have a Task Force Officer, he was excited about it, and the conversation turned to the possibility of Hayden coming out of retirement to take the job. At first, they both laughed about the idea, thinking it wouldn't happen, but then they began seriously considering it. So, Carter called Hayden and asked him about it.
Carter said, "At first, he was a little skeptical on coming back, just because he was concerned about public perception. I assured him that that wasn't a concern of mine, because I felt like my duty and responsibility was to hire the most qualified person, and you know, I felt he had that, hands down."
Carter said Hayden eventually accepted the offer and McCracken Fiscal Court unanimously hired Hayden as a detective.
Carter said, "He was hired back, technically, as a detective with the sheriff's department in our drug division, but once all his clearance and paperwork is approved, he will be a TFO with DEA out of the sheriff's office."
Hayden said he worked about 12 years in drug enforcement and led that unit before he became sheriff, so he's very familiar with the work.
"It's always been a problem for our area, and continues to be, so I think I'll be an asset. I certainly hope that I will, and I'll work hard at it," he added.
Hayden said he'll be an employee of the sheriff's department but will also take direction from the local DEA office, depending on the specific investigation.
Carter said TFOs are common at law enforcement agencies. The sheriff's department already has two detectives who are also TFOs for the U.S. Marshals Service.
The presence of a TFO gives the county an employee with federal credentials, which can streamline investigations that cross jurisdictional lines.
Hayden said, "Adding another full-time person concentrating on the drug problem, coupled with the fact that we're gonna be working directly with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency - the intelligence sharing, the resources that they have - it's a big boost for our efforts."
The partnership with the DEA also provides, "just shy of $20,000 annually towards overtime," Carter said, which will offset that payroll expense.
Carter and Hayden both said the notion that Hayden is, "double-dipping," is false. As a retiree, he cannot receive another pension with the department, and is able to work anywhere he wants. Carter said discussions with the DEA led to this position becoming available, and it just happened to be a great fit for Hayden.
They both also mentioned that increased drug enforcement will affect everyone's safety, since many crimes they investigate are tied to illegal drugs.
Hayden said he came back to work as a drug detective on November 6.
