Seth Johnson
The city of High Springs celebrated the swearing-in of four new officers to the city’s police department and said goodbye to one K9 member of eight years.
The four officers— Montavis Miner, Montana Sayers, Soren Brockdorf and Sara Allen—joined the High Springs Police Department during the past year.
Miner, a Gainesville native, joined in July. Sayers started in the Coast Guard and now works as a school resource officer for High Springs Community School. Brockdorf has served in law enforcement for 16 years—working at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office and University of Florida. Allen started working in law enforcement at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office in 2010 and moved to High Springs in 2019.
Chief J. Antoine Sheppard told the commission that the department is fully staffed—one of the few in the area. Nationwide, departments have also struggled to fill vacancies, and Sheppard said the city needs to increase compensation to ensure the quality and quantity of officers remains strong.
While the human component of the force remains filled, High Springs will need to find a new sniffer to fill the K9 spot.
Casar, a German Shepheard, retired at the meeting. He worked for the High Spring department for the last eight years and has assisted several partner agencies.
“They are a great tool for law enforcement, believe it or not,” Sheppard said. “They prevent a lot of issues with our organization.”
After a thank you petting from Mayor Gloria James, Cesar left to enjoy retirement. He will now belong to his handler, Officer Tony Pekala, instead of the city.
Several items on Thursday also centered on the police department. The commission approved an ordinance to declare four police vehicles, three Ford Crown Victorias and a motorcycle, as surplus. The vehicles will be sold, and the city’s financial director said the funds will enter the city’s general fund.
Sheppard also added that the city received a grant that will fully fund the department’s new motorcycle and equipment.
Thank you Seth for highlighting our four newest officers and celebrating our beautiful K-9 as he enters the world of retirement. Our community is incredibly blessed by our police department headed up by our fabulous Chief Sheppard!!