Page 18
The INDEPENDENT, August 19, 2010
From the Sheriff’s Desk…
by Jeff Dickerson,
Columbia County Sheriff
VOLUNTEERS MAKE A
BIG DIFFERENCE
One of the issues on which
I campaigned heavily as I was
running for sheriff was the
need to establish a volunteer
program. I believed that
staffing shortages required an
even greater reliance on vol-
unteers who could help my
staff perform all the mandated
functions of my office. Since taking office, I have seen
even more how critical the good will of our volunteers
is to making us as successful as we are.
Back in the day, sheriffs were authorized (under the
old English concept of “Posse Comitatus”) to conscript
able-bodied individuals to help them in keeping the
peace. Today, our volunteers do what they do, helping
us conserve the peace and promote safety – not be-
cause they have to, but because they really want to.
Volunteers, by nature, are folks who “get it.” No
matter where they end up volunteering, it is usually be-
cause they truly believe in the mission for which they
are volunteering. Because of this, volunteers often
have tremendous loyalty to our organization.
I have found that Sheriff’s Office volunteers are
some of the most civic minded individuals around.
They understand our role in peace conservation in our
communities, and they put their shoulders to the bur-
den to help my staff in so many ways. Often, like with
our Search and Rescue responsibility in this county, if
it weren’t for volunteer workers, we would not be get-
ting much done at all.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
More than two dozen trained and state-certified vol-
unteers make up the “boots on the ground” for our
Search And Rescue (SAR) team. SAR volunteers put
Please see page 19
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