Jackson County, Florida Sheriff Donnie Edenfield was the special guest speaker at the regular Wednesday meet of the Optimist Club of Marianna recently.
He talked to the group about accomplishments made during the first three months of his tenure and his goals for the future.
The Sheriff explained that he meets weekly with the Command Staff, at which time they review, revise, and update department policies and deal with issues that may have arisen. Among the personnel and job changes made, Captain Jeremy Pelfrey, formerly of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office, was brought on board as the Captain over the Criminal Investigations Division.
He replaces retired Captain Virgil Watson. Lt. Wesley Burch, formerly of the Tallahassee Police Department, assumed the job of Internal Affairs Investigator vacated by Lt. Mike Hodges, who retired. Once Sheriff Edenfield realized the depth of Lt. Burch’s background in IT and several other areas of expertise, he assumed additional duties and will be taking over as the Operations Captain when Jeff Johnson retires in early October of this year.
The job of Operations Captain encompasses numerous tasks that keep the Sheriff’s Office running on a day-to-day basis. Sgt. Quinton Hollis is now responsible for Training, Warrants, Sex Offender Compliance, and Equipment, and fills in as the Shift Supervisor when called upon.
The department is actively recruiting among the local Law Enforcement academies within an hour’s drive of Marianna. While we can’t offer the pay that some wealthier counties can, we can offer a small town working environment that is often more enjoyable, said Edenfield. The department is currently upgrading their IT services because so much of what Law Enforcement does in this day and age is controlled by technology. Two department employees recently became certified to handle internal investigations, which will insure that potential violations are dealt with professionally, fairly, and thoroughly.
Sheriff Edenfield recently requested the Bay County Sheriff’s Office to come and review our evidence procedures, and is proud to report that their analysis concluded that the Sheriff’s Office was properly adhering to legal guidelines. The JCSO Dive Team is currently being revamped and should be fully operational by Memorial Day. Considering the immense recreational waterways we are blessed with in our area, having a properly trained and outfitted Dive Team is a must, said Sheriff Edenfield. Master Dive Instructor Edd Sorenson has agreed to train these dedicated individuals.
The Sheriff’s Office currently has a trained narcotics detection K-9, and will soon have a second K-9. “I-K-9,”a company based in Alabama, has generously donated a trained Malinois to the Sheriff’s Office, as well as the month-long academy that the handler and dog go through together to become certified. This is a savings to the department of $8,000 to $10,000. Sheriff Edenfield’s plan is to have four drug detection dogs on the road in the near future.
Renowned K-9 tracking expert Charlie Price recently joined the Sheriff’s Office after 27 years with the Florida Department of Corrections. He will be heading up a team that will be available to not only track fugitives, but assist in locating missing children and individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s. The Sheriff’s Posse is being reactivated. They are an all volunteer crew that assists on horseback in locating evidence, missing persons, and with any other task deemed necessary.
The Sheriff’s Office will be selling their department airplane to raise money to purchase two to three drones equipped with FLIR, or night vision. These drones will also be invaluable in the search for fugitives, missing children, and adults. Sheriff Edenfield pointed out the increased involvement of his Deputies with the public, especially within the schools. Sheriff Edenfield also praised the department’s dedicated Deputies who serve as Reserve Officers.
These individuals volunteer their time and risk their lives right along-side paid Deputies, but do so for free, usually after a long day or week at their regular job, and out of a sincere dedication and love for their community. The Sheriff said that he is excited and optimistic about the future, and humbled to serve as your Sheriff. Pictured L to R are :Jackson County’s newest Deputy, Gil Bachelier, JCSO Reserve Deputy and Optimist Club President Steven Stewart, Optimist Club Vice-President and Sheriff, Donnie Edenfield, Optimist member and JCSO employee, Lt. Wesley Burch, and Optimist Vice-President and JCSO employee, Sgt. Quinton Hollis.
