Toniette Brown is the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Employee of the Month for April. Brown, a night shift dispatcher, was recommended for the award by a fellow employee who commended Brown for her hardworking ethics and willingness to assist the public and anyone within the agency.
Brown moved from Birmingham, Ala., to Texas two years ago, hiring on with the sheriff’s office in March 2016 as a dispatcher. Being no stranger to the judicial system, Brown worked in Birmingham for an organization called “Gateway,” a non-profit organization that helps foster children. Being exposed to what the legal system does after court rulings is what drew Brown to law enforcement. She was interested to see the steps before the cases go to court.
LCSO Capt. Ken DeFoor, said Brown’s desire to be involved in a profession that requires multi-tasking makes her a good fit as a dispatcher.
“It is not uncommon to see the LCSO dispatchers with a telephone up to both ears while talking to a deputy on the radio and running some type of record check on the computer all at the same time,” DeFoor said. “All this going on constantly for a 12-hour shift can have a tendency to drain the resolve of most people. When the flow of information that goes into and out of the dispatchers’ office is compared with a ten-year span from 2008 when the agency handled 15,361 calls for service to 2018 where that office handled an increased total to 44,931 calls for service the personality and ability to function under such a work load speaks for itself.”
According to DeFoor, Brown has maintained a ready smile and sunny personality, which is one of her most obvious attributes when dealing with fellow co-workers or the public.
“Has she ever had second thoughts about becoming a dispatcher? Perhaps when she first started as a ‘rookie’ dispatcher. An off-duty deputy attempted to assist the victim of an overturned vehicle when the driver, for no apparent reason, attacked the deputy,” DeFoor said. “The wife of the deputy called the dispatcher for an ‘Assist The Officer’ response and the ensuing radio traffic became congested. Brown said, ‘This freaked me out and made me wonder if this job was for me but also made me realize if I was going to do this job, I would have to get better.'”
Brown is a single mom with a daughter in Liberty High School. Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from the University of Nebraska as well as a Graduate Certificate in Geographical Information from the Jacksonville, Alabama State University. Presently she is working towards a degree in Public Administration with a minor in Environmental Science. Her desire to advance her dispatcher classification to the master level is certainly not unrealistic with her background in education.
“It is with appreciation and deep respect that all the LCSO personnel ask the public to join them in thanking this hardworking dispatcher and to extend a hearty congratulations to Toniette Brown for being selected as the Employee of the Month for April 2019,” DeFoor said.