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Blount County Sheriff James Berrong has asked for a TBI investigation to be initiated because he said Blount County Commissioner Wendy Pitts Reeves made allegations of criminal misconduct against the sheriff's office.

According to a sheriff's office press release, Berrong said Reeves made allegations against the sheriff's office regarding their wrecker service policies during a Blount County Commission work session on Tuesday night.

Berrong asked Blount County District Attorney General Mike Flynn to initiate a TBI investigation into the allegations, the press release said.

A citizen had made a complaint at the work session regarding a bill from a towing company which pulled her vehicle from a ditch during an ice storm on Jan. 22.

"After the sheriff's office representative responded to the complaint from the citizen, Ms. Reeves brought up a second issue relating to sheriff's office towing policies," the press release said. "She accused the sheriff's office and Sheriff Berrong of taking 'commissions' from towing services."

Reeves told The Daily Times Thursday that she was not making any allegations against the sheriff's office during the work session and that she was not asking for action on the issue. She said she had heard two complaints about the issue -- one from a Blount County resident who expressed a complaint at the February commission meeting and one from a constituent who expressed a complaint directly to her.

"I was merely responding to a public complaint that the commission heard in an attempt to understand how things work," Reeves said. "I asked a couple of questions. At no point was I suggesting any inappropriate behavior by anybody."

Reeves said there was no action taken by the commission and she did not request action. She said she "really just wanted to understand how the process worked."

She said Blount County Assistant Chief Deputy Jimmy Long spoke about the policy at the meeting and she said she "appreciated Mr. Long's willingness to just come and share information about general information about how the policy works."

Reeves said that Long said the sheriff's office did not take commission from towing services and said he would like to speak to anybody that made the accusation that they did.

"I was satisfied with his answer and that was good enough for me," Reeves said. "I had no desire to go any further and at no point was I sharing any opinion of my own."

Berrong said that Reeves was accusing him and the sheriff's office of "illegal and unethical conduct."

"I am appalled and personally offended by these accusations," Berrong said in the release. "In fact, my predecessor was removed from office and prosecuted by federal authorities for similar conduct. Neither I nor anyone in our department has ever taken a commission or any other payment from a wrecker service."

Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham said that after he heard Reeves make a "statement" about the issue at the work session, he called Flynn and asked for a TBI investigation -- without the knowledge of the sheriff asking for an investigation.

"Those are very serious allegations," Cunningham said. "She said the sheriff was taking commissions -- is what I understood her to say. I guess if you're going to advertise you better be able to produce the merchandise."

Cunningham said that Reeves was not simply asking a question about the policy.

"That's baloney," Cunningham said. "She said she heard the sheriff's office was taking commissions."

The mayor said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will be investigating the matter, and they will want to talk to everyone involved and have all of the details. He said, "If you have any information about that kind of thing, you better be ready to tell them."

Flynn said he could not comment.

Berrong said he requested the TBI investigation because he suspects "these allegations by Commissioner Reeves are politically motivated without any factual basis."

"This has become a pattern of conduct by Commissioner Reeves," Berrong said. "Upon completion of the TBI investigation, we will then address Ms. Reeves' false and slanderous remarks."

Blount County Commissioner Ron French said he personally thought Reeves' comments were in "bad taste" and were just "hearsay."

"I don't think she was making any accusations, but I don't know what her reasonings were behind bringing it up," he said.

According to the sheriff's office, they currently use seven towing services in Blount County that rotate on a weekly basis. The only exception is Butler's Wreck Service, who by agreement from the other services, is assigned to "Zone 4." The zone covers the area south of Sevierville Road and east of Montvale Road and includes Walland, Townsend and part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Butler's Wrecker Service is not part of the weekly rotation.

The rotation system started in the early 1990's following Berrong's entry to office. It is part of his effort to make the sheriff's office a "professional agency," the press release said.

In January and July, towing companies that are interested in being a part of the rotation can apply. Any company that meets state standards is added to the weekly rotation.