Myers to run for Marengo sheriff

Vineland resident Phillip Myers has announced his intention to run for sheriff of Marengo County in 2014.

Currently a sergeant with the Alabama Beverage Control Board, Myers’ life in law enforcement dates back to 1996 and includes a stint with the Marengo sheriff’s department.

Myers began work with the Thomasville Police Department in 1996 before taking a job as a deputy under then Marengo County Sheriff Jesse Langley in 2002.

“When I got hired here in Jan. 2002, in February, on Valentine’s Day, my wife had a car accident. She was paralyzed. I had been here six weeks as a deputy. I had no insurance yet. I had not reached my 60-day waiting period. I had no leave time,” Myers recalled. “But I never missed a check and Sheriff Langley went out of his own pocket and paid my back Cobra payments to the City of Thomasville so that I would have insurance. Not only as a professional, but as a man, he left an impression on me. And he assured me not to worry about the job, that it would be here.”

Myers remained with the Marengo County Sheriff’s Department until 2004 when he weighed the guarantee of a new opportunity against the impermanence of his present employment.

“I loved being a deputy sheriff. I took the job with the state because I knew it was a good opportunity and I knew that I had more years of service left in me than Jesse had being sheriff. If I knew he’d be here forever, I would have stayed. I probably never would have left,” Myers said. “But I began to learn how much of an impact the sheriff has on the county and on the community. I still look at law enforcement with a romantic sort of view. We actually are here to serve. I believe that law enforcement exists to serve the community. It’s that simple. We are here to help those in need and protect others from harm.”

At 38, Myers has amassed a wealth of law enforcement experience that includes work as a municipal officer, as a sheriff’s deputy and as a state agent working in the areas of both alcohol and narcotics. Since his promotion to Sergeant in 2011, Myers has added administrative experience to his resume.

“My duties range from administrative to enforcement related activities. Most importantly this responsibility has taught me how to be a good manager of people and resources,” Myers said.

Myers intends to run in the Democratic Primary in June 2014, a move that officially marks his first move into the political realm.

“Politics are a lot about timing. I think that it is a good time right now. I’ve still got a good bit of energy and a fire left in me. And I think that the sheriff’s office needs some of that,” Myers, who also holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, said. “I have full intention to knock on as many doors as I can. I think it’s important to know where you serve and the people that you serve.”

As for how he would approach the job if elected, Myers noted a list of goals he has already assembled.

•Seek and secure available grants for the Sheriff’s Department. This would enhance the deputies training, equipment, and pay. It would also lighten the burden on the County Commission to fund the Sheriff’s Department

•Work to prevent crimes through a more proactive, community based approach to law enforcement

•Exercise zero tolerance for drug related crimes

•Aggressively investigate property crimes such as burglary, theft, robbery and other crimes against persons

•Work closely with other law enforcement agencies in Marengo County and surrounding areas. These relationships are vital because crime sees no boundaries

•Increase the amount of training that deputies receive to keep them updated on laws, techniques, and trends. This also improves their professionalism and safety.

•Develop relationships with school administrators and become more visible in schools

•Utilize my relationships with State and Federal Agencies as a resource for the department

•Generate income within the Sheriff’s Department and the County Jail through programs that are available to become more self-sufficient

•Train the corrections officers in the county jail to reduce liability and make them better employees. Training always makes you do your job safer

•Work toward accreditation of the Marengo County Sheriff’s Office. This would have the department operate under a set of standards created by CALEA. Among many things, accreditation reduces the department’s liabilities and insurance costs.

Myers is married to the former Robin Rutherford and has three children, Austin Morgan, Kora Myers and Eve Myers.