Jerry E.
Richards
(March 19, 1938-August 5, 1998)
The
webmaster wishes to convey a heartfelt thanks to Edna Mull "Pete" Richards for
her assistance in supplying dates and locations for the following
story.
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| Jerry Eugene Richards was born in Cleveland
County, North Carolina on March 19, 1938. The son of Dwight and Laura Armour
Richards, Jerry attended grade school in Shelby, N.C. In 1956, he moved to
Cleveland, Georgia to help his aunt with the arduous task of raising her
children after her husband was killed in a tragic accident. Jerry attended high
school in Cleveland and enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after his
graduation. |
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| Richards married his sweetheart, Edna "Pete"
Mull on January 1, 1960. He and Pete adjusted to military life together and
celebrated the birth of their first son, Tracy on October 11, 1960. |
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| The professionalism and rigorous training
demanded by the Marines made an impression on young Richards. After his
discharge from the Marines in 1960, he decided on a career in law enforcement
and joined the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. After his graduation from
the academy in August 1961, the Patrol assigned Richards to Madison County in
western North Carolina. During this time, Pete gave birth to a second son,
Stephen. The Patrol transferred Jerry to Burke County in April of
1963. |
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| It was during his tenure with the Highway Patrol
that Richards felt the desire to bring the spit-and-polish look of the military
to other areas of county law enforcement. He furthered his education in the
police science field at Western Piedmont Community College (graduating in 1972)
and set his sites to become the chief law enforcement officer of Burke County.
Richards, a Democrat, challenged and defeated incumbent Republican Lee
Brittain, becoming Burke County's fifty-fifth sheriff in 1974. |
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| Richards immediately went to work to change the
appearance and persona of the Sheriff's Office. He learned that many deputies
carried their own duty weapons and wore mismatched uniforms. Richards brought a
new mindset of uniformity to the Sheriff's Office, stressing to his staff that a deputy would
not perform professionally if he or she did not look professional. Funds were
appropriated and departmental policies written to have deputies wear the
same uniform and carry the same type of firearm. |
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| Sheriff Richards also saw the need for officers,
as well as himself, to further their education. He insisted that his officers
receive intensive training as he received in both the military and Highway
Patrol. Training courses, such as firearms, defensive driving, etc. were
established through local colleges to better equip his deputies. |
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| Richards himself enrolled in a University of
Southern California management class in 1974 to receive guidance in overseeing
his thirty-some officers. A desire to improve his investigative skills led him
to enroll and graduate from a University of Indiana criminal investigation
school in 1975. Richards also was accepted into the prestigious Federal Bureau
of Investigation Academy in Quantico, Virginia, proudly graduating in the
summer of 1977 in what he felt was one of his life's greatest
accomplishments. |
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| Burke County citizens were apparently pleased
with noticeable changes in local law enforcement and re-elected Richards
to a second term as sheriff in 1978. Richards became well respected by many of
the other ninety-nine sheriffs in North Carolina. He was the first "first-term"
sheriff ever elected as an officer with the North Carolina Sheriff's
Association, serving as second vice-president. The professionalism he desired
for Burke County was carried to the state level when he was elected as the
1980-1981 president of the Sheriff's Association. |
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| Re-elected as sheriff again in 1982, Richards
continued his duties with both the Sheriff's Office and as a driving force with
the N.C. Sheriff's Association. Other men that would later hold the sheriff's
office served under Richards, including Ralph Johnson, Richard Epley, and John
McDevitt. |
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| Richards was re-elected once again in 1986. It
was during this term that he became chairman of Sheriff's Training and
Standards, a committee that mandates the requirements for deputies in the
state. During this time, the minimal training hours for a "rookie school"
recruit were increased. Other standards were set to ensure deputies were of
suitable calibre to serve their respective counties. |
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| Richards retired halfway through his fourth
term, serving a total of fourteen years as sheriff. His tenure was the second
longest in the history of the office, with only Sheriff Ray Sigmon serving
longer (sixteen years). Citing a desire to spend more time with his family and
answering a call to live closer to God, Richards became an active member at El
Bethel Baptist Church on Highway 181 in Morganton. His devotion was rewarded by
his subsequent election to the church's Board of Deacons. |
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| Shortly after his retirement, Jerry's dream of
traveling with his wife and enjoying his children and grandchildren was
short-lived when doctors discovered cancer had invaded his body. Always a
fighter who met challenges head-on, Richards fought a brave six-year war
against the disease and became an inspiration to many people. He lost the
battle on August 5, 1998, passing away at his home surrounded by his
family. |
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| Law enforcement officers and dignitaries
throughout the state attended the visitation and funeral for Sheriff Richards.
He was laid to rest in the El Bethel church cemetery, ending the legacy of a
man many perceive to be Burke County's most influential and productive sheriff.
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