To the editor:

April 25 will be my last day of service as a Brown County deputy.

It is, and has always been, my true honor to serve the people of Brown County.

I started my career as a Brown County Community Corrections officer, and in 1995 I was proud to have been hired as a Brown County sheriff’s deputy. This had been my dream since I was a little boy. This is my home where I was raised and my family has roots dating back to the early 1800s.

I proudly served as a deputy sheriff until 2010 when I was graciously elected by the good people of Brown County to serve as your county sheriff.

This was the height of my law enforcement career, and I loved every second of serving in this position. I am so honored to have been elected as the Brown County sheriff, and I served with pride.

I have met many interesting people in my career.

People are good. However, some are just in a bad place in their lives and need help in the worst way. Sometimes that help came in the form of arrest to remove them from the dark place they are in at the time, but most just needed to talk to a neutral person with no axe to grind from either side. This allows them to see the other side of their issues.

Some were victims, witnesses, friends and even, at times, family.

Whoever the person is and no matter what their issue is, it is the most important thing in the world to them at the time and I always tried to listen intently and do my best to be whatever they needed at the time. That’s what an elected sheriff or deputy sheriff is supposed to do: listen to and protect the people.

I would do it all again without hesitation and I wouldn’t change a thing, excluding the 20 extra pounds.

The last 26 years has been but a blink of an eye and went by way too fast. I look forward to seeing and talking with all my county people as I go into the next 52 years, fingers crossed, of my life and I want to thank you for a great career in a place I truly love.

Rick Followell, Brown County

 

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