Sgt Westfall

The agency lost a good Sergeant recently. Sgt Westfall was always a team player who never did put his own goals or ambitions ahead of his deputies. It would be nice to have some type of closure as to why he left and what was going on.

This is from Volusiadeputies.com. It is the farewell message from Sgt Westfall.
Farewell…
August 22nd, 2008
To all of my friends, colleagues and co-workers, I bid you farewell. Ten years and one month ago, I took a detour from a lucrative financial advisor career to pursue my childhood dream of being a police officer and to work for, what I thought to be the best agency around. It has been an interesting journey that seems like it started only yesterday.

Having maintained my licenses to practice in the financial world for over 13 years now, I am moving on to significant opportunities in that realm. Having finished my degree and having resigned from the sheriff’s office, the insurance agency I own has signed an agreement to market financial products that will help people in a significant way to avoid tragedy in their lives that would otherwise come. I’ll be going from making death notifications (in my LEO career) to providing comfort to those who have suffered a loss by handing the family a check for money to support themselves during their time of grief. I’ll now be able to bring financial security instead of mere words ( 3 out of 4 people do not have adequate life insurance protection). I’ll be helping those with uncertainty regarding health insurance to make safe choices for their families, too, and those with investment concerns to find safety and security amidst uncertain markets.

While I’ll no longer be helping accident victims trapped in their cars at crashes in the rain, I’ll be helping senior citizens who feel trapped by out of control inflation and a resultant shrinking fixed income to utilize their existing home equity to increase their standard of living today, while they don’t even have to sell their house to do so (reverse mortgages).

The most-often thankless job of working all night away from the family, to come home and sleep all day, working every tropical storm and hurricane either in a shelter protecting the often ungrateful or driving the streets when no one else but newspaper carriers would leave their families for - nope, not going to miss it. I certainly have had my fill of domestic fights with mandatory arrests, drunks, barking dogs, false alarms, robberies, shootings, monthly inspections- quarterlies- annual accordions to complete, etc. etc.

Leaving the sheriff’s office with no regrets, I accomplished everything I ever wanted to accomplish in law enforcement and now am moving to help people in another significant way. This time, though, with the ability to increase the standard of living my family has been has had to settle for for so many years through their own sacrifices so that I could work those long nights, weekends, holidays and hurricanes away from them - pursuing that childhood dream.

The family is doing great. We have pulled together in an incredible way over the last eight weeks. The children are happier, the wife is happier, and I am excited about the next chapter that I had, for so long, been putting off. Thank you to those who have reached out to say “hello” over the last two months. There are a great many people at the sheriff’s office that I will miss. There are colorful personalities, men and women of great integrity who, every day, make the sacrifices I mentioned above for their own personal reasons alone. Certainly not with the goal of appropriate recognition, promotion, or even the realization that they’re doing a great job when they do. They often do not get the pat on the back or positive performance notices that only come when they happen to be dropped in to the right call at the right time. No, these I mention continue to show up, diligently seek out opportunities to confront evil and help the victims in our community- all while knowing that the more bad guys they confront, they only invite more potential complaints.

By the way, I own the domain name for www.badgebattle.com (http://www.badgebattle.com). I wonder what I should do with it now. Send me your suggestions..

I wish you all the very best, and will of course follow your exploits in the media, even though we know they’ll get 50% of the stories wrong. On a mutually beneficial and serious note, though, please take a minute to review what life insurance policies you personally and individually own outside of the workplace. Are they adequate to take your family through a career change and take it with you (10 times annual income on average)? The group term life insurance you can purchase through work is gone the day you leave.

Will you be able to qualify for your own personal life policy with excellent health when you ultimately leave your employment? It’s best to shop around for a policy that you personally own and keep no matter what happens in your future. The rates are incredibly cheap and it’s coverage that no one thinks they’ll need - but you in this line of work should know better. In law enforcement, we have seen all manner of unexpected death, from tragedy and unavoidable crashes, to crimes of passion, to unexplainable medical conditions where health-looking people simply never wake up - we all know just how fragile life really is.

Each time I attend a funeral (two very recently), I ponder the question about the financial security of the family that is too often facing two crisis at one time - 1) the devastating and unplanned loss of a loved one and 2) the financial devastation that comes from it. There is a very tangible sense of accomplishment in having provided for that financial security to the loved ones that are left behind by having provided them with quality life insurance.

My websites will be undergoing a facelift shortly..but they include:

www.directlifeprotection.com (http://www.directlifeprotection.com)

www.healthplandirect.com (http://www.healthplandirect.com)

www.freedomretirement.com (http://www.freedomretirement.com)

www.christopherwestfall.info (http://www.christopherwestfall.info)

..and the most recent addition, www.superiorhealthgroup.com (http://www.superiorhealthgroup.com), where we have agents across the country providing senior citizens with a no-cost arthritis brace kit to relieve pain if they suffer from arthritis. Medicare pays the whole tab, so it’s a no-cost solution that is bringing relief from pain to lots of people. It’s a kit of 7 braces that reduce pain and provide support for different areas of the body using a new material called Thermoskin that helps keep heat inside of the joints without the typical sweating. If you know anyone over 65 that has arthritis, tell them about this no cost kit - or let me know, please.

Lastly, here’s my e-mail address. Stay in touch! My family and I will continue to pray that you all are kept safe and that you are successful in the fight against evil in the world. Please don’t forget that you have to take care of each other out there.

More of us could, and should find better employment elsewhere. Hate to see him go. He will be missed, but he is doing what many of us only talk about. I'm sure he'll be better off without VCSO.

Good point. We have GPS on the car. They know where we are all the time. And it seems there would have been some type of a statement or public release if there was more to it. I don't buy it at all. Seems like somebody with an axe to grind on Sgt Westfall. Where are the facts? Nothing but baseless accusations from where I sit. If there was more to it there would at least be MDC messages, phone records, etc.

Until there are facts it is nothing but the agency losing a fine Sergeant.

Good point. We have GPS on the car. They know where we are all the time. And it seems there would have been some type of a statement or public release if there was more to it. I don't buy it at all. Seems like somebody with an axe to grind on Sgt Westfall. Where are the facts? Nothing but baseless accusations from where I sit. If there was more to it there would at least be MDC messages, phone records, etc.

Until there are facts it is nothing but the agency losing a fine Sergeant.


Well I haven't figured out how to do it yet but I am well aware that the GPS system can be manipulated so you can make it look like you are anywhere you want it to. I'm not saying anything against anyone or for anyone, I'm just giving everyone something to mull around the old noggin.

This whole thing just sounds like a witch hunt. I am certain info systems would be able to tell if the GPS had been tampered with. I also don't know about the allegations about another deputy on a cruise and a "threesome." Sounds like somebody just throwing a bunch of charges on somebody hoping that something...anything sticks. I for one would just like the truth. And until the truth is known I think we all have to believe Sgt Westfall and the deputies that worked under him.

And until the truth is known I think we all have to believe Sgt Westfall and the deputies that worked under him.

How about reserving judgement on both sides untill the facts come out..... isn't that what what we are supposed to do on any normal call we go on anyway?

Exactly. So whoever has the facts...share. I for one am going to stick with the favorable impression of Sgt Westfall and his shift until proven otherwise. That is one of the things we also have....innocence until proven otherwise. All I have read is that Sgt Westfall resigned.

Who on earth would have thought that my family would be so talked about? Certainly not me. Someone e-mailed this site to me... boy I was so surprised to see what has been written!

While I appreciate those of you who are true friends to me and my family and who are trying very hard to stand up for us, I just wish everyone would drop it. There's nothing that scandalous that has happened here. I know exactly who has started all of the bad postings here, the IP address gives you away, and I cannot for the life of me understand why you are doing this. You seemed to be happy with your situation for four months.... I guess now that you are no longer a subject of interest on his radar you feel the need to belittle me and my family. Amusing.

I guess I'm just a little taken aback here since I have done NOTHING whatsoever to this person who keeps posting things like this on every message board she can. All I can say is, I forgive you. I forgive you not only for saying hateful things about me and my family to the world, but also for the four months of you trying to fill my shoes. I realize you have not had an easy past, that people have failed you, have left you, and have hurt you. I know what hurt can do to a person... and so it's hard for me to be angry with you. I'm sure you are a good person and I wish nothing but the best for you. But can you please try to respect me and my privacy by not spreading gossip about us? I will CONTINUE to treat you with the same respect.

Thank you very much. :mrgreen:

Oh, by the way, being a mother of four IS a full time job, but I appreciate the fact you don't think my children are worth all of my time and energy.

that made me smile.

that made me smile.

What did? How do we know what you are talking about if you don't quote what you are referring to?

It is unfortunate how this thing played out. Just from a selfish point of view it is sad we lost a good Sergeant. Maybe we can get him back.....

Hey Sarge, We never met in person but I will tell you working LE4 with you was a great experience. You were an AWESOME street sgt., proactive, knowledgable and SMART! I am sorry for all that has happened to you and your family. There is a loss throughout the department becuase everything aside, You are were a great person to work with, and you are greatly missed. I wish you and your family all the best. Happy Holidays and remember "That which does not kill us, Makes us stronger". God Bless!

There is much, much worse than this going on within the sheriff's office.

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