Emphasizing the “Serve”

Gulf County Sheriff Joe Nugent hopes to foster more positive interactions between his department and the public.

New grant money, a revitalized program and a new driving initiative he hopes will be positive steps.

The new grant funds, $42,000, comes from the Byrnes Memorial Fund, a state grant pool providing dollars to local law enforcement agencies for use at their discretion.

What Nugent decided to do was effectively replace on the five positions he has lost the last year or two, moving Sgt. Chris Buchanan into the grant position.

Buchanan’s task will be to facilitate community programs, such as the Neighborhood Watch programs in St. Joe Beach and Highland View.

Nugent would like to see the program expand throughout the county.

Buchanan also completed, along the Dep. Larry Dickey, a training course on the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.), as the sheriff ramps up that program, which has been dormant for several years due to funding issues and priorities.

“It actually gives us three DARE officers because Stacy Strickland, the (School Resource Officer) at Port St. Joe High School is also trained in DARE,” Nugent said. “Chris is going to be a community outreach officer.

“We are basically trying to get programs started so we can have a more positive interaction with young people. We are also trying to get back out in the community more.”

Buchanan and Dickey underwent two weeks of training to become DARE officers.

“It was challenging,” Dickey said. “We had homework every night. We had to do presentations, short presentations and long presentations.

“And we went to schools in Leon County and interacted with the kids and taught them what we had just learned.”

Another program Buchanan would spearhead is one what would entail checking on housebound seniors, ensuring they are alright and are safe. If they have needs, Buchanan would provide referrals and outreach to other social fabric agencies in the community.

“This grant has given us a person who can do all these things because you can’t do it while you are out on patrol or while you are shorthanded,” Nugent said.

Grant money from the Florida Department of Transportation will assist in establishing a pair of driving programs, which Dickey will spearhead after undergoing another 120 hours of training.

The driving programs are separate but dovetail, the hope to lure kids from 14-19 to enhance their abilities behind the wheel.

“There is too much speeding, texting and not paying attention while many of these kids are driving,” Dickey said. “Our kids are not learning how to drive properly. They are behind the wheel of a 9,000 pound bullet. It is just like a gun.”

The first effort is aimed at teens aged 14-15 who have their learner’s permit but have not earned their license.

The FDOT grant will help provide two golf carts completely tricked out as cars, with bumpers, lights, etc., for use in the beginner’s course.

“This will get teens involved with driving, what is involved, the basics of operating a vehicle,” Nugent said.

“Dickey added, “This will get them ready for their operating permits.”

The second initiative is a Teen Driving Challenge, which is likely to begin just after the first of the new year.

The Teen Driving Challenge is a 12-hour course which does not replace driver’s education, which is not offered at Port St. Joe High School, but it will be held at the Port St. Joe High School parking lot, the only sufficiently large area in the county to hold the course.

The driving challenge is for licensed teens; who must also use their own, fully-insured cars during the course. The course includes four hours in the classroom and eight on the driving course.

“The course is designed for the teenage driver to learn how to control a vehicle in emergency situations,” Dickey said, noting that an overwhelming number of vehicle accidents involving young drivers, and accidents involving serious injury or death, are due to overcorrection by the driver after going off the road or into another lane.

“We are also seeing a lot of accidents caused by driving and texting and we will address that. We put them through a series of tasks, such as cornering and the like, to get them used to handling difficult situations while in a vehicle.”

Dickey said kids aren’t learning how to drive properly and they are also most likely to be distracted by talking or texting on a cell phone or talking to passengers in the vehicle.

“I love working with the young people and we have a challenge to meet in Gulf County,” Dickey said. “I am ready to meet that challenge.”

Upon completion of the Teen Driving Challenge students receive a T-shirt and certificate of completion. Many auto insurance companies accept such certification as evidence of undertaking a safe driving course and will provide discounts of up to 10 percent on auto insurance.

“That is the carrot,” Nugent said. “This gives kids a good safety approach to driving, and mom and dad will, in most cases, be getting a discount on auto insurance. If you have tried to insure a teenager these days you know that is no small carrot.”

And the pre-drivers Dickey will teach using the golf carts will hopefully transition into the Teen Driving Challenge, Dickey said.

• The Sheriff’s Office is again this year undertaking its Christmas Wishes effort which aims to provide food and presents to needy families during Christmas. For more information or to make a donation call the Sheriff’s Office at 227-1115.