Photo: Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery (left) presents a plaque to Lt. Ralph Bird in appreciate of his 25 years of service to the agency during a retirement ceremony Friday afternoon in Mountain Home.
Lt. Ralph Bird, the Support Services Division commander at the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), wrapped up a 25-year career with the organization with his retirement ceremony Friday afternoon.
Bird was the first DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) instructor and school resource officer with the department and spent much of his career working with children in the classrooms of Baxter County schools.
Bird proudly recalls how he became the DARE officer.
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Bird joined the United States Army as a military policeman in 1978 and after his military retirement, entered civilian law enforcement in Ripley County, Missouri, before relocating to Mountain Home. He is the fourth generation of his family to work in law enforcement and says his career allowed him to see all aspects of humanity, both good and bad.
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After spending his working life in law enforcement, Bird says it was time to step away from the profession.
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Photo: Former Baxter County Sheriff Joe Edmonds (left) dropped in to congratulate Lt. Ralph Bird on his retirement Friday afternoon.
Bird says his family won’t be leaving the Twin Lakes Area and will remain involved in the community.
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Bird was honored in a ceremony at the BCSO on Friday afternoon and presented with a quilt containing logos from his years of DARE programs, along with a plaque of appreciation.
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