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| Salute
Law enforcement leads the way
Police chief, sheriff serve the community By Samuel Sutton Standard-Radio Post reporter
In a year where law enforcement agencies have faced scrutiny, Gillespie County Sheriff Buddy Mills said he’s fortunate to see overwhelming support. “It’s tremendous,” Mills said. After recent police brutality incidents throughout the nation, a lot of people have voiced their opinions against law enforcement. But in Fredericksburg, that hasn’t been the case. Residents have left gift baskets and cookies for the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office and Fredericksburg Police Department with notes of support. Mills said he’s also encountered several occasions where people have paid for his and his deputies’ meals at restaurants. “To have that kind of support and appreciation from everybody that we work for is fantastic and we’re very fortunate,” Mills said. Fredericksburg Police Chief Steven Wetz was also appreciative of the community support. He feels like these acts of kindness are derived from the recent negativity voiced against law enforcement. “Every action has a reaction,” Wetz said. “I think people see the things that are going on and they want us to understand
Fredericksburg Police Chief Steven Wetz, left, and Gillespie County Sheriff Buddy Mills work together to keep communication between the two agencies consistent. — Standard-Radio Post/Samuel Sutton
that they support us.” Mills said he believes this support comes out of trust between the community and the local law enforcement agencies. “Everyone who has been here, from the police department, to the sheriff’s department to the game wardens and everybody else, has built the trust and the understanding that while we do have a job to
Thank You for your service!
We honor the men and women who serve our community, night and day, as members of the Fredericksburg and Gillespie County Law Enforcement, EMS, Firefighters and First Responders.
do, these are the same people we see in church, the local grocery stores, the restaurants and the football games,” Mills said. One reason why the community is so supportive, Wetz said, is because they’re well informed on local law enforcement’s mission. “We try to put on several programs dur-
ing the year to help keep the public educated on what we’re trying to do,” Wetz said, speaking about the department’s summer youth program and its annual Citizens Police Academy. Another way they try to keep the public informed is through social media, where they often post news releases about burglaries, vehicle crashes or other public safety incidents. Wetz and Mills said communication is key. If someone has a problem with the police department or the sheriff’s office, they are happy to talk through the situation. “I’ve always said, ‘Hey, call and let me know,’” Mills said. “If something is broken in this office and no one ever tells me, then I can’t fix it.” Mills recognizes the mountain of stress officers from other agencies must be facing, not only from their communites, but their loved ones, as well. “When you get home, if by chance you have a spouse or a loved one that is like, ‘Why in the world are you doing this?’ Mills said. “Every officer or volunteer does this job because they want to make a change.” Wetz agreed with Mills, saying this type of career path “is a calling” for some people. Funding Both, Mills and Wetz also provided their thoughts on reallocating funds from law enforcement to areas like mental health or crisis intervention organizations, an idea that has been discussed in cities around the nation. See LEADERS 6
HILL COUNTRY PEST CONTROL 94 Metzger Road • Fredericksburg 830-997-5080 • 800-313-2721 We support our Law Enforcement, EMS, First Responders & Firefighters! THANK YOU for your service!
