The Baxter County Sheriff’s Reserve Association, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization was the recent recipient of two generous donations.  Shirley and Larry Walters and the Baxter County Sheriff’s Foundation have provided the funds for two vending machines for the Reserve Association.

The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office has approximately 25 Reserve Deputies who provide volunteer time to perform support duties to the Sheriff’s Office, ranging from transporting inmates to overseeing inmates who work on clean-up projects for local non-profits.

These Reserve Deputies use their personal funds to equip themselves with guns, leather gear, and other equipment.  In order to defer some of the expenses, the Reserve Association conducts fundraisers to supplement the Reserve Officers with safety equipment and training.

The two vending machines will be placed on the Sheriff’s Office property (one at the Jail’s visitor entrance and one inside the Main Office) and will be supplied and managed by the Reserve Deputies.  All profits will be used to support the Reserve Association.  Larry Walters, a Reserve Deputy and Part-Time Deputy for the past 22 years sees the potential of these vending machines.  “The Reserve Deputies contribute over 10,000 hours per year to the Baxter County’s Sheriff Office.  They are not paid for their time, nor for their equipment.  Shirley and I wanted to find a way to help defer some of those equipment costs.  A vending machine will produce ongoing profits for the years to come.”

The Baxter County Sheriff’s Foundation (also a 501 (c)(3) non-profit) provides public-spirited citizens with a way to contribute to the professional and personal success of the Sheriff’s Office and its employees.  The Foundation seeks ways to expand, enhance, and sustain public safety services to the citizens of Baxter County by providing financial support beyond the scope of the Sheriff’s Office normal operating budget. 

T.C. Carter, the Foundation’s President, understands the difficulty in operating the Sheriff’s Office with limited funding.  “Due to the generous donations from our community, the Foundation is able to provide equipment such as bullet-proof vests, tasers, and other safety equipment, as well as, scholarships for employees and their children.  We’ve also provided funding for software that has greatly improved the efficiency of certain administrative functions.  The Sheriff’s Office does an impressive job of allocating scarce resources.  The Foundation is proud to play a part in financially supporting a forward-thinking Sheriff’s Office.”

For more information or to leave a legacy of public safety, go to  www.baxtercountysherifffoundation.org or contact Sheriff John Montgomery or Captain Jeff Lewis at 870-425-7000.

Picture information:

• Pictured are Shirley Walters and Baxter County Sheriff’s Foundation Board Members Steve Luelf and T.C. Carter
  
  
• Shirley Walters presenting a check to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Foundation