PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By Bubba Summerlin

Let me start by thanking the members of this association for electing me to this position.  I intend to continue the tradition of the hard working presidents that have held this position before me.  I have been a part of this association for many years and have been a board member for the past five years.    Through this association I have made many friends and built numerous working relationships.   As a career narcotics officer, I can assure you both of these relationships are invaluable when it comes to doing my job

    
The 2009 Spring Training Conference in Kitty Hawk North Carolina was well attended and was rich with quality Speakers and Instructors.   Many in attendance expressed how great the training and instructors were.    Our Executive Board put in many hours to make this conference a success and it was very rewarding to hear the appreciation from the members.

 
While planning for this year’s banquet speech as incoming president, I began to think about what I wanted to say.  With each attempt of writing a simple speech, Det. Charlie Brown of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office kept entering my mind.  As many of you know, Charlie was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty on December 8, 2009.  Charlie was a dedicated father, dedicated officer, a member of this association and a friend. I was present at the crime scene where Charlie was shot and assisted in the homicide investigation.   While at the scene there was one question I kept asking myself.  What in my life is half done?  Charlie went to work December 8 with plans that were unfinished or never started and he planned to go home at the end of his shift but it was not to be.

 
 I began to focus my thoughts on my family that day.  How many times had my children asked me to  read a book to them, play catch or help with a puzzle and I answered “Not right now, maybe later” or “I don’t have time?”  How many times have I driven by a place that my kids wanted to stop at and I refused because I was in too big of a hurry to get where I was going?  I know I cannot always say yes but on December 8, 2009, I promised myself I would say yes when I could.

 
I love my job.  This is a very rewarding career and sometimes I can’t believe I get paid to do it.  However, I love my family more.  I don’t always drop what I’m doing now and rush away from home when an informant calls with something he can do right now.   We are in a marathon not a sprint and we cannot arrest every dealer.

Thanks to Charlie Brown, my family is my priority and I say yes when I can.   In your future careers as law enforcement officers, I challenge each of you to say yes when you can.  This have given me more happiness and satisfaction than any drug seizure ever could.

Don’t misunderstand me,  I believe in what I do and as a sheepdog I’ll be prepared to face the wolf, even if this means making the ultimate sacrifice.  However, I have a new motivation for facing the wolf and this motivation is stronger that it has ever been. I look forward to serving this association as President during to 2010-2011 year.  We will continue to lobby for stronger drug laws, stiffer sentences and more funding.  It is your association and I encourage each of you to become involved. 

 Thank you,

Bubba Summerlin
President - NCNEOA