for immediate release
August 14, 2004
N E W S R E L E A S E
Okaloosa County Sheriff Charlie Morris is sending 15 Deputies to assist local law enforcement in southwest Florida after Hurricane Charley. The Okaloosa contingent departed Shalimar a few minutes after 6:00 this morning (Saturday morning) en route to Lee County, where they will assist the Cape Coral Police Department.
The Okaloosa Deputies are driving 12 marked and three un-marked patrol vehicles on the
570-mile trip. T
he group includes:
Captain Michael Busby
Inspector Tom Ruffin
Sergeant Ken Christmas
Corporal Ted Pecot
Deputy Johnnie Briggs
Deputy Kristin Pond and K-9 "Laser"
Deputy Frank Hawley
Deputy David Bridges
Deputy Jack Burritt
Deputy Jeff McGill
Deputy Butch Rockwell
Deputy Kenneth West
Deputy James Burnham
Deputy Derek Luttrell
Deputy Lenny Holloway
The Deputies are members of the Community Policing, Traffic, K-9, and Environmental Units. Their deployment will not affect the manpower of road patrol shifts in Okaloosa County.
Deputy Briggs is making his second assistance trip to a hurricane disaster area; he was part of a ten-Deputy continent that traveled to North Carolina after Hurricane Fran in 1996. Five Okaloosa Deputies assisted in Dade County after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
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for more information contact Sgt. Rick Hord, Public Information Officer
(850) 651-7420