COMM U N I T Y
BY: JOY HAMPTON
Service Spotlight: Capt. James Glasco
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native Oklahoman, James Glasco’s father was a career corrections officer with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, so it was no stretch when James took a job at the county jail. What Glasco could not have visualized growing up was a global pandemic that would put the staff and inmates under his care in danger, or that his actions on the job would contribute to their safety. “I grew up in Holdenville and we moved to Noble when I was in eighth grade,” he said. “My dad worked in corrections for 28 years, and I was always interested in the detention and corrections side of law enforcement.” The new facility opened in Norman in 2012 and he started working for the county jail that July. “We toured the old jail before it was torn down,” he remembered. “Looking at it, I didn’t want this new facility to turn into that. This isn’t a dungeon like some facilities. We’ve got natural light coming in, and we keep the walls clean.” A clean, bright environment helps ease the tension of inmates and staff and affects the overall mood of the facility, he said. “If we don’t take care of our facility, it shows the inmates that we don’t care, and why should they care if we don’t?” he said. Glasco advanced through the ranks to captain in 2018 and now he is part of the command staff, supervising 85 detention
officers and first-line supervisors. “I had a supervisor who said his job as a leader was to help write my book,” Glasco said. That made him realize he is helping those under his leadership. “This gives me the opportunity to help mold the future generation of law enforcement and make sure they’re on the right path, upholding our mission, vision and values,” he said. Glasco also routinely deals with inmate concerns. “I’m not here to judge,” he said. “I don’t look at what color this person is wearing, orange for inmates or gray for staff. If that officer did something wrong, they are going to be held accountable. I believe in accountability.” As part of the leadership team, Glasco faced new challenges in 2020. “When COVID first hit, they tasked me with finding a cleaning method to stop or slow the spread,” he said. “I started looking into UV lights. I found out XENEX disinfecting robots were at Norman Regional and talked with them about the effectiveness.” The XENEX LightStrike robot uses a patented system that produces UV across the entire germicidal spectrum to deactivate pathogens without damaging bedding or other materials. “When I looked at alternate UV manu-
facturers, most of their bulbs were made with mercury which can be an environmental hazard if broken,” Glasco said. He also had trouble getting data from other companies on the effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “I knew we could implement the robot here, and it would help inmates and staff,” he said. Glasco had a robot-naming contest for staff to promote buy-in during training, and soon “Deputy Germinator” joined the team. While Deputy Germinator zaps pathogens throughout the jail, they also use it frequently in the break and briefing rooms used by staff. Glasco said the robot is easy to use and effective. The robot deactivates many pathogens, and the jail has experienced no flu this year. He noted that the staff is healthier overall, which means fewer sick days off work. The robot was a major investment, and Glasco said he appreciates the support of the administration. He gives credit to detention officers and first-line supervisors under his command for the success of the facility’s ability to maintain a safe environment. “Day-to-day, they are in the trenches,” he said. “That’s where much of our success comes from.” – BSM This is a continuation of our series on public servants in Norman.
10 | March 2021
