95. Sheriff holds open house in Oak Hill six months after taking over law enforcement duties

 

Doug GibsonNSBNews.net photos by Henry Frederick / Oak Hill Commissioner Doug Gibson stands in front of the Volusia County Sheriff's Air-One helicopter behind City Hall during a VCSO open house on Feb. 1

OAK HILL -- Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson played host to some 100 residents during an open house in February on the city hall grounds to commemorate six months of law enforcement service to the small city since its police force was disbanded six months earlier.

John's open house in Oak Hill comes in 95th among Headline Surfer's Top 100 Local Stories of 2012.

Johnson was accompanied by a dozen or so sworn personnel at the open house in and around the former police department facility, along with some of the hardware that children loved such as the Sheriff's Air-One helicopter, the SWAT mobile command center and robotic equipment.

Residents were feted to hot dogs, cake and soft drinks, all courtesy of Johnson himself. "This is great," said then-Commissioner Doug Gibson, who was elected mayor in the Nov. 6 general election. "Finally, we have peace."

The VCSO SWAT Team and Bomb Squad were part of Sheriff Ben Johnson's open house in Oak Hill.

Gibson's sentiment may be somewhat of an understatement because the city was in turmoil the batter part of the two years leading up to the August disbandment.

During that time embattled Police Chief Diane Young, whose hiring from day 1 over her past admitted cocaine use had been controversial, was fighting not only with several of her officers, including Sgt. Manuel Perez, but with then-Mayor Mary Lee Cook and former Mayor Darla Lauer.

Top 100 Countdown Recap:

95. Sheriff holds open house in Oak Hill six months after taking over law enforcement duties
Link: http://headlinesurfer.com/content/411109-95-sheriff-holds-open-house-oak-hill-six-months-after-taking-over-law-enforcement-dut
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