How old is your county sheriff’s office or city police department and what was the seed that spawned its beginnings?
Nostalgia has its value, especially in law enforcement where the pace rockets at a pretty good clip, swiftly progressing, hardly affording any time to look back. That’s modern-day society for ya! But what about the early years, when a county sheriff’s office was chartered, signifying the birth of that first star to respond to troubles?
Although I never really thought about it enough to notice, some law enforcement organizations cite their age, as a byline mention in their mission statement:
“Under the direction of Sheriff Rick Staly. Proudly serving the citizens of Flagler County, FL since 1917!” (I found that line in the agency’s social media introduction.)
On the east coast of Florida, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) posted its proud recognition of the law enforcement agency’s 107th birthday, providing a bit of background and how it all started:
“On this day [July 9] in 1917, Gov. Sidney Catts appointed E.W. Johnston as the Sheriff of Flagler County, thus establishing the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office!”
(Photo courtesy of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.)
When I was processing with my department, hoping to become a sworn policeman, prospective candidates would line the hallway outside of a conference room at Police HQ. The Oral Board interview is a huge undertaking carrying tons of weight in the grand scheme of police rite of passage, illustrating a person’s potential performance as a law enforcement officer.
While waiting for my name to be called, I gazed at all the historical police memorabilia (almost a century’s worth), marveling at black-and-white photographs of the city’s first police officer riding a bicycle on a dirt road with hardly any structures in sight.
Fast forward, and the municipal police force has almost every imaginable mode of transportation under the sun, asphalt everywhere (no more dirt roads), residential and commercial structures everywhere, an overpopulated jurisdiction, and seasoned law enforcement professionals who blush when talking about yesteryear versus contemporary public safety challenges (baseless, unwarranted hatred).
Hence, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office celebrating its 107th birthday garnered my attention.
(Photo courtesy of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.)
A few years ago, I took my children to the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum in Titusville, Florida. My kids and I meandered circa after circa of cop stuff from many different corners of the geography: A history buff’s playground. The one thing that stood out as still in fashion (albeit hardly used any more) is the whistle. My chrome-plated one tethered to a matching silver chain looped to a uniform shirt epaulet button, the whistle snugged in my breast pocket, was a mandatory part of the agency uniform composition whose box was checked off during inspections by command staff.
The main center of operations for Flagler County’s law enforcement institution has an in-house museum of sorts, depicting the progression of badges through the years, uniform modifications, graduations of service weapons (advancements in technology affording precision), police cruiser makes/models, electronic aids facilitating communications, and a bevy of cop-centric stuff: a whirlwind from B/W to kaleidoscopic portrayals of policing in America.
(Photo courtesy of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.)
How far we’ve come. And we are still moving the needle for the folks we serve, especially in the current state of affairs for law enforcement officers operating in a bizarre era seemingly chock full of crazed law-and-order oppositionists.
Can you imagine the eventual inclusions in police museums of depictions illustrating snarly citizens disrespectfully wagging fingers and childishly jutting the middle one in the faces of uniformed police officers there to keep the peace?
Who knows…it may make for hard-to-swallow but appreciated imagery for the eyes to see and the convictions of future cops waiting in the hallways of law enforcement hubs, prospective candidates seeing what they’re up against, still stepping forward with nobility and courage to do good in a society exposed to havoc brought about by evildoers.
Circling back to the 107th birthday of a Florida sheriff’s office longevity and the first star born of a governor’s proclamation, countless additional stars have been minted, pinned, and endured active experiences sworn eyes were positioned to see and dutifully mitigate.
Despite naysayers reveling in a lawless society, law enforcement legacies keep building and celebrating birthdays of peacekeeping hubs whose honorable crimefighters are gleaming stars in my book…
And they’re out there on our behalf.
