MEMORIAL Summer in San Diego - Deputy Sheriffs' Association of ...

Honorary DeputiesMessage from Sheriff Bill GoreThe first Sunday of May I traveled toSacramento, along with many of ourcolleagues for the Fallen Peace OfficerMemorial and enrollment on the CapitolMall. Once again police officers anddeputy sheriffs around the state joinedtogether to honor those who gave theirlives in the line of duty.When I returned to San Diego, I made apoint of walking by the memorial that sitsat the entrance of Sheriff's Headquarters.It was just a year ago that we dedicatedThe Ultimate Sacrifice, as it is titled, and Ireflected on how fortunate we are to havethis beautiful sculpture to commemoratethe service and memory of fallen deputies.I also thought of all that went into theeffort to get the memorial built.Many of you have contributed to thememorial and your name is on the donorlist. Our DSA was generous and did itspart. There are also individuals who gavefrom the heart substantial sums to see thememorial built. By far the most generouscontributor was the HDSA—the HonoraryDeputy Sheriffs' Association. It's fair tosay, that without the contributions ofmore than a quarter of million dollarsfrom HDSA members, what we see todaysimply would not be there.That's the way it is with much of the workof HDSA. Without them, we would ofcourse continue to function. We wouldcontinue to do well, but there would beimportant pieces of who we are missing.We would be lesser for their absence.It is difficult to imagine what the SanDiego Sheriff's Department would bewithout the skills of the members of ourSearch and Rescue Team. That Team hasalso relied on the generosity of HDSAto the purchase some of its equipment.Indeed, its state-of-the-art mobilecommand trailer was purchased byHDSA. Search and Rescue in San DiegoCounty would not be what it is withoutHDSA.A while back we decided to embracea program called Take Me Home. Theidea is for patrol deputies and otherfirst responders to have access to facialrecognition software to be used whenthey discover a lost autistic child or anAlzheimer patient. When first proposed,it was viewed as a good idea but withouta budgetary home or funding source. Aswe've done so often over the years, weturned to the Honorary Deputy Sheriffs'Association. They came through andprovided resources to jumpstart theprogram.If you really want to see HonoraryDeputies in action, take a look at theSheriff's A-Range and Duffy Town.Opened in a canyon on Navy propertyin 1968, thousands of law enforcementofficers in San Diego County have trainedthere in the vital use of deadly force. TheA-Range presents a stark picture of thenand now. The big reason for the now isHDSA: a Tactical Training Facility, aCanine Training course, and a SWATobstacle course were all constructed byHDSA. The value? Over $500,000.Today, in the upper area of the A-Rangecampus, Classroom A accommodatescutting edge Firearms TrainingSimulators, a far cry from what was therein the mid-1960s. The same can be saidof the armory. The original structure wasdemolished and rebuilt with a first classgun mill and cabinetry handcrafted by anHonorary Deputy.All of this was done by HDSA, notbecause of anything the membersthemselves receive, but because theybelieve in what we do. The value of theircontribution can't be measured in dollarsalone. Many deputies over the years havespent many hours honing critical skills atthe A-Range. Over the course of a careerwill that time devoted to training meanthe difference between life and death?There's no question about it. And that'sanother way to mark the value of HDSA'swork.I could talk at length about HDSA'scontributions to ASTREA and toleadership training. But the next timeyou are in San Diego's Old Town, paya visit to the Sheriff's museum--theWilliam B. Kolender San Diego Sheriff'sMuseum. Recently remodeled, it is a gem.It captures the history of our department;and preserves our story for generations tocome. No county funds are used for theeffort. Rather, this lasting contribution toour department and community is madeby generous members of HDSA.Honorary Deputies do not patrol ourstreets; they don't drive a black-and-whiteor draw a county paycheck. Yet, they arepart of the extended family of the SanDiego Sheriff's Department. They helpmake us what we are today. Wheneveryou pass by our memorial or make useof equipment or facilities provided byHDSA, I invite you to join me in salutingtheir continuing contribution.Do well and stay safe. Silver Star June 2012 5