After a one-year ordeal, I'm leaving the Washington County Sheriff's Office to go back to policing with Hagerstown Community College (HCC) as a police officer. It's been a very difficult journey for me to try to go back to street policing. I started as a patrol deputy with the Sheriff's Office but transferred to the Detention Division (which doesn't perform law enforcement functions) at the start of a difficult divorce, in April 2021.
On Monday, May 2, I'm starting my new position with the HCC Police Department, a smaller agency focused on campus security. The agency is led by Chief Eric Byers, a 19-year veteran of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office in Maryland. The assistant chief of police is Lt Johnny Murray. He is a 29-year veteran of the Hagerstown Police Department and has taught at the Washington County Police Academy in 2019-2020 when I was hired by the Sheriff's Office Patrol Division. Lt Murray recruited me while I was attending the Hagerstown Regional Corrections Academy last month at the same college. Initially offered a part time position, the Sheriff's Office declined to allow me to work, citing conflict and potential policy violation. So Lt Murray offered me a full time position which I applied for. The hiring process was rather speedy as I did most of it while trying to juggle my responsibilities as a class leader in the corrections academy.
My last day as a deputy sheriff assigned to the Detention Division will be on May 1, 2022, but I've currently been on vacation since April 20 until April 30.
I'm leaving Washington County with a past I can't forget but believe I will be a much better police officer in a low risk, low stress environment.
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