The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has had a long-standing commitment to Pike Road. In a recent interview, Montgomery County Sheriff Derrik Cunningham underscored his department’s commitment to protecting Pike Road residents, schools, homes, and businesses.
Cunningham characterized the Sheriff’s Department’s relationship with the town as “excellent,” noting that his agency has served the area since long before Pike Road incorporated.
“We were there before there was a Pike Road,” he said, adding that the Sheriff’s Office remained the primary law enforcement provider through the town’s transition and formation.
Addressing a common misconception, Cunningham explained that forming a town does not require a police department. “A lot of people don’t understand the Constitution. When you form a township, the only requirement you gotta have is a town clerk and a mayor. It doesn’t mention a police department.”
He emphasized that the Sheriff’s Office’s service to Pike Road is both a legal obligation and a standing commitment. “We’re going to continue to do our job because that’s what, you know, we’ve been doing. And I’m not going to change, and I’m not going to bend over and say, no, you’ve got to be on your own,” he said, adding that he remains neutral on whether the town should form its own department.
Financial realities and a stable model for Pike Road
Cunningham placed the Pike Road-Sheriff’s Office arrangement in a broader statewide context, noting that some municipalities have dissolved their police departments due to cost and returned primary law enforcement responsibilities to county sheriff’s offices. “A lot of people don’t understand the logic behind all of that, but it’s all about funding,” he said. He described the current model as stable and financially sound for Pike Road.
Deep roots in schools: SROs in every Pike Road campus
A centerpiece of the department’s work in Pike Road is its School Resource Officer program. “You can’t find a school system such as what Pike Road has, and we’ve got an SRO in every school,” Cunningham said, calling it a unique advantage for families.
To increase transparency and accessibility, the department’s mobile app allows parents to see the SRO assigned to each campus. “If you pulled up our phone app… and you [tap] Pike Road Elementary, if you click on that, that’s your SRO. You got a picture. You know who that deputy is who works at that school every single day. You know, that’s called commitment.”
Cunningham said the goal is for SROs to be approachable and integrated into school life, not just a uniformed presence. He pointed to a dedicated high school SRO vehicle, wrapped in school graphics, as a symbol of that approach. “We’re not just saying we work here. We’re saying we’re a part of this school system. We’re branded and joined at the hip.” He added that with well-known and trusted SROs, they can often “calm situations within the schools down before they even get started.”
Close coordination with town leadership
Cunningham described a collaborative relationship with Pike Road’s leadership, specifically Mayor Gordon Stone. “Gordon has bent over backward to assist us with anything that we need to be better informed in the community out there,” he said.
The town supplements Sheriff’s Office resources to support service levels in Pike Road, and the two entities “work side-by-side during budget times.” Open communication has been consistent across administrations, Cunningham added, noting that the constructive relationship “started back during Mayor Rayburn’s time.”
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