Letter to the Editor: Vote for Troy Berry, a candidate with high standards, morals, integrity, and ethics

Letter to the Editor: Vote for Troy Berry, a candidate with high standards, morals, integrity, and ethics

LETTER TO EDITOR

Allow me to introduce myself.   I lived in Charles County from 1969 through 1999 and worked as an Officer at the Charles County Sheriff’s Office from 1974 until Retiring in 1999 as Lt and Director of the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy.    I now reside in Las Vegas, NV but remain in close contact with many of the officers I served with and still have a deep love for the Sheriff’s Office.

After a dark period ended with the election of Sheriff Troy Berry, he has once again returned fairness to the promotion system, respect of the agency within law enforcement circles throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and service to the citizens of Charles County.

I was an instructor to Troy Berry when he attended the Academy and recall telling the then Sheriff that our Agency had a future star sitting in our recruit class at the academy.    He really did impress me that much.   He was an outstanding Patrol Officer and was quickly transferred into CID as a Detective.   One of the things that again impressed me about Troy, in addition to his impeccable manners towards everyone, was his dress in civilian clothes.   His shirt was always starched, with a beautiful necktie, nice dress slacks, not chino’s but dress slacks, and high shined shoes as if he was the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company.

When Troy was transferred to Internal Affairs and was ordered by a newly elected Sheriff to cease an investigation into wrongdoings one of our officers who was a crony of that Sheriff he refused, and though having been an Acting Captain for some time, had that rank revoked and was transferred to Patrol in the worst possible shift.   In the end he sued that Sheriff in Court but throughout that ordeal, when it would have been far easier to simply go along with that overbearing “Good Ole Boy Sheriff” who brought back several junior officers who were in the process of being terminated to the highest command positions in the agency – Troy Berry stood tall and refused to “knuckle under”.

As a result, the citizens of Charles County elected him as their Sheriff.   A historic event as he was the first black ever elected to that Office in the history of that county which was founded in 1658!   But if you ever met Troy, you would discover he is simply another person just as you or I, but with high standards, morals, integrity, and ethics.

As for myself, though I’m far too old anymore and live far away, I would work for Troy in any capacity, or rank, in a nanosecond because he has that unique ability to draw good people to his circle.

David B. Wright

Lt #86 Retired

Charles County Sheriff’s Office