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Bell County celebrates Correctional Officer Appreciation Week

It's not every day you can find a dunk tank at a jail.

Belton — It's not every day you can find a dunk tank at a jail.

Saturday, at the Bell County Jail in Belton, that was the case as the jail held its Correctional Officer Appreciation Week barbecue for 100-200 correctional officers.

"Getting a little break from day-to-day inmate activity, I think is a good thing," Sgt. Brian Ogle said.

Ogle and maintenance officer Rusty Cook switched roles from officer to grill master for the day, as they cooked good old fashioned Texas barbecue to share with their co-workers.

"A lot of times, this branch of law enforcement isn't as respected as the rest of law enforcement," jail administrator Capt. Byron Shelton said.

Shelton said he wanted to boost morale and make it a bigger celebration from their first attempt last year.

In part, that meant involving the officers' families.

"Family is a great support system for our men and women," Shelton said. "They allow them to be able to come here and do their jobs and without them, we wouldn't be able to do it."

In addition, it's a chance for the officers to say thank you to their co-workers.

So this cookout at a spot you'd likely never expect, it's a chance for those who deal with inmates on a daily basis.

Then, after lunch, it's back to the grind.

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