Sheriff’s Reserve And Posse Recognize Years Of Service
The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse Association can trace its history back to 1962 under the guidance of Sheriff Walter Tharp. Today, it is more commonly known as the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Posse or Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserves.
This posse plays a multifaceted role in the community, assisting with various activities, sponsoring events, and managing crowd control at special events, including the county fair.
The selection criteria for posse members during its formation were distinctively straightforward: candidates were required to be citizens in good standing, own a horse, and possess a revolver. Certification of the posse was a simple process, merely notifying the state authorities.
Today, the Posse and Reserves still serve the community at various events and help with other activities such as patrol, prisoner transports, and other duties the Sheriff assigns.
Reserves are now certified through the State of Iowa as law enforcement, a departure from when the posse was initially formed.
Recently, the Mahaska County Posse recognized some of its members for their years of service to the community.
Those recognized with a 5-year certificate of service are listed below, with their current years of service included in brackets.
Tami Taylor [5 yrs]
Nick Batterson [5 yrs]
Ken Allsup [5 yrs]
Brad Boender [5 yrs]
Kurt Boender [5 yrs]
Brian Jacobsen [5 yrs]
Josh van Kooten [6 yrs]
Josh Crouse [7 yrs]
Those receiving a 15-year certificate of service include:
Mike Fell [17 yrs]
Levi Taylor [18 yrs]
Roger Gay [18 yrs]
Jamey Robinson [19 yrs]
One individual received a 20-year certificate of service:
Roger Jansen [24 yrs]
One individual received a 25-year certificate of service:
Larry Septer [27 yrs]
Two individuals received a 30-year certificate of service:
Dan Taylor [32 yrs]
Ron Witt [33 yrs]
One individual received a 40-year certificate of service:
Gary DeGoey [42 yrs]
Two additional members will receive their 50-year awards at a special reception on December 17th from 2 to 4 pm at the Environmental Learning Center.
Dennis Dursky and Verlan Uitermarkt will be the guests of honor in recognition of their years of service.
Sheriff Russ Van Renterghem said of those receiving recognition. “I’m so thankful to have these men and women on my reserve unit, and I’m glad we were able to honor them for their dedicated service to the Sheriff’s Office.”
Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserves and Posse members that received 30-year and 40-year certificates of service.
Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserves and Posse members that received a 20-year certificate of service.
Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserves and Posse members that received a 15-year certificate of service.
Mahaska County Sheriff’s Reserves and Posse members that received a 5-year certificate of service.
