(From Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office)
In our line of work, deputies are often present when people are experiencing the loss of a love one. Unattended deaths in a home, horrible traffic crashes, and other tragedies are a part of being a law enforcement officer, and sometimes, deputies may have to handle the death notification and comforting of the family, while also conducting the underlying investigation. Thankfully, TCSO also has four Chaplains that are here to help community members, and our deputies, get through those rough days.
Our Chaplains, Dan Mason, Linc Craig, Linton Whittles and Richard Coon, are local community members that respond to those tough calls on a regular basis, and we are blessed to have them on our team. “They really are the unsung heroes of our department,” said TCSO Sgt. Troy Jackson. “Many people in the public aren’t aware of the amazing job they do.”
We at TCSO certainly know the amazing job they do, and recently, Chaplains Linc Craig and Richard Coon, along with Deputy Kris Wood, received a Sheriff’s Letter of Recognition from Tillamook County Sheriff Joshua Brown for their professionalism, compassion and understanding during a recent sudden death call.
“I received a letter from a man who had requested a welfare check after not hearing from his elderly father as usual,” said Sheriff Joshua Brown “Deputy Wood responded to the call and sadly, the man was found deceased by what was later determined to be a heart attack. The letter was commending Deputy Wood and Chaplains Craig and Coon for their efforts while helping the family understand and cope with their sudden loss.”
“For a family to go through such a traumatic and unexpected event, and then be so moved by the level of professionalism, compassion and understanding that our staff showed, just speaks volumes about the kind of people that work at TCSO. Everything I have desired this sheriff’s office to be is shown by how Kris, Richard and Linc performed their duties during one family’s time of need. I thank them, and all of our truly amazing staff, for making the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office what it is today.”
Our Chaplains are sworn peace officers that volunteer their time to the our community. They receive annual training through the Oregon Chaplains Academy and the Oregon Department of Safety Standards and Training. We want to thank them for the work they do, so that others might find comfort and assistance when it’s needed most.