Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, December 17, 1993                   TAG: 9312210234
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A22   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUGLAS E. MAYHEW
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHEN TELLING THE TRUTH DIDN'T PAY

To begin with, they weren't driving marked cruisers and drinking alcohol as indicated by a member of the sheriff's office.

Bedford County has dedicated people protecting and serving the great people of our county. It's true alcohol was consumed while working undercover. This is the trouble with a vice unit - it's a necessary evil that can easily get out of control.

I don't want to see the men and women in brown looked down on as people who don't care. Recent events that have been brought to the public's attention are nothing new. These same truthful statements about alcohol consumption were brought to the attention of Sheriff Carl Wells three years ago by five of the same deputies who testified under oath.

The problem has come about because Wells didn't do his job by correcting the problem. He was told because I told him. Wells apparently saw nothing wrong with it then, but since the public knows about it, I was one of those scum deputies.

The sad part is that the sheriff put me in this position, knowing that I'd be subjected to possible alcohol use. The reason it's sad is because he gave me a position with the DARE program to help keep kids off drugs and then put me in the position to practice the opposite. Not only did Wells place me in vice, but told me I would follow Steve Rush's orders without question. I and the four other deputies informed the sheriff of alcohol consumption. Rush was promoted shortly thereafter to sergeant and then to lieutenant, which made him the supervisor over all of us.

One thing I taught the kids in DARE was to always tell the truth and handle your problems, no matter how much it hurts. I look back at my 51/2 years of teaching kids and I wonder if I told them right. I was placed in a situation on Sept. 20 where I could either tell the truth and be suspended, removed from the DARE program, which I loved, and demoted to the jail annex, or I could've lied and suffered none of the above.

To the 8,000-plus students whom I've taught: I stood up for what I thought was right. Therefore, you'll never see me in DARE class again. Remember what I taught you. And yes, I have my DARE bear sitting on a shelf to remind me how wonderful all of you are.

In closing, thank you, Sheriff Wells, for all you've done.

Douglas E. Mayhew of Bedford is one of the Bedford County sheriff's deputies who was suspended for drinking on duty.