Experienced help...Priceless! ........................
Date Posted:8/15/06
Gadsden County Sheriff's Office Reserve Deputies recognized for their efforts.

They look like deputies. They act like deputies. They work like deputies, but the major difference between regular sworn deputies in the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office and reserves is that reserves don't get paid and they must work a minimum of 16 hours per month. In the past year they have saved the office thousands of dollars and have performed duties that would otherwise have required officers to log overtime hours. Sheriff Morris Young says he appreciates the 26 reserve officers and what they do. "I'm short two or three deputies now and they are a big help to this office," he said. He met with the officers last Wednesday night to thank them personally for all of the hours they have contributed to the department.

All of the reserves do not limit their hours. David Thomas, who serves as a bailiff, can be found in the local courthouse every day. He has been a reserve for the past three years after retiring from the Florida Department of Corrections. "I'm here in the courthouse almost everyday. I like working with the people, and I like working with the judges and juries," he said. Other reserves, like James Dennard, have been in law enforcement all of their professional lives. After 30 years he retired from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He worked briefly as a full-time detective before calling in quits again. Joining the reserves was the best of both worlds for Dennard. "I can still stay connected with law enforcement, but I still have the time to enjoy my retirement," he said. Just last week Dennard was sent to New York to bring a prisoner back to Gadsden County. The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office would have been required to pay overtime if a regular deputy had made the trip.

"Where ever they fill in, it's certainly a help to the Sheriff's budget," said Katherine Pondexter, finance director, who estimates reserves save the county approximately $60,000 per year. Each reservist has state of Florida law enforcement certification. The certification is a prerequiste to becoming a reserve officer. To keep their state certification, reserves are required to serve the minimum 16 hours per month, but, typically, officers like Thomas will work more than the required hours. Another important unit is the escort unit, supervised by James Peterson and Lindsey Anderson. The two are reponsible for making sure the reserves are in place and that enough officers are available for funeral processions. Reserves are present at local festivals, athletic events, and at almost any public event where security may be required. "It can get kind of sticky, especially with funerals. If one family has an escort and another does not, they want to know why," Young said. He told the officers that there is an almost constant need for them to help out on weekends. "We really count on these officers," he said. Capt. Robert Barkley, who is directly repsonsible for the unit, told Young that the reserves are a dedicated group of people who have never let him down. "They are doing a good job. We're looking forward to the neighborhood patrolling," he said. By mid-August, when the sheriff's office gets new vehicles, reserves will be allowed to have a take-home vehicle.Barkley and Young agree that the presence of a marked vehicle in neighborhoods will help deter crime. "Just that vehicle parked in the yard will let the person thinking about commiting a robbery or some other crime know that law enforcement is in the immediate area," Barkley said.

Young also wants to reward officers who exceed the requirement. He told them that while budget constraints prohibit him this fiscal year, he hopes to set aside some money in the future for the officers who exceed the minimum hours. Dave Dempsey would welcome a little extra income, but that's not why he is a reserve. "I joined because I want to give back to this community," he said. Dempsey has lived in Gadsden County for the past four years, moving here from Daytona Beach after 21 years on the police force and 10 years with the Department of Insurance's Fraud Division. He is currently a special agent for the National Insurance Crime Bureau. "In my case after so many years (in law enforcement) you have that feeling of loss," he said.

Pamela Anderson, the only female reservist at this time, said she also wanted to give back to the community. The mother of two, is a security officer at the local Social Security office. Both Quincy Fire Chief Howard Smith and Assistant Fire Chief Buddy Peddie are both reserve officers. They wanted to maintain their police certification. "It's easier to maintain the certification than it is to get it. We ride along with deputies or we go out and do community policing," Peddie said. Barkley estimates that there are over 500 years of experience in the unit. "There is a lot of expertise in the unit. Antonio Jefferson did an excellent job putting together our policies and procedures. B.W. Rowan is a certified teacher at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy and Howard Smith is a certified firearms instructor. There is a lot of professionalism in the reserves now. When Florida did away with the old auxiliary units and required all reserves to have the same training as other officers, it made a big difference," he said.