Longtime Guilford County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Tim Mabe – who has served for over three and a half decades under three Guilford County sheriff’s – posted an emotional statement on Facebook – just before new Sheriff Danny Rogers was sworn in. In that post, Mabe poured out his thoughts on the department and his dismissal from it, and it generated a big reaction from community leaders and others.

Mabe wrote in the statement posted on Sunday, Dec. 2 that he understands many people would be reluctant to respond publically to his post and he wrote that people could message him privately on Facebook instead.

However, Mabe was wrong about that: His post was liked, commented on, or both, by many high-profile citizens, elected leaders, current and former law enforcement officers, judicial officials and others who weren’t afraid to let their respect for Mabe and his work be known.

Among those showing support for Mabe’s post were Guilford County Commissioner Justin Conrad, State Rep. Jon Hardister, Guilford County Superior Court Judge Lora Cubbage, Oak Ridge Town Councilmember George McClellan, State Rep. John Blust and former Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins.

Mabe wrote: “Sunday, December 2, 2018, is the last full day of my 36-year Law Enforcement career with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. When the sheriff-elect is sworn in at 1 pm on December 3, I will not be there. The sheriff-elect has chosen to not swear me in.”

In the post, Mabe went on to explain the reason he was let go and he added that Roger’s decision to terminate him was based on a major misconception. Before Rogers was sworn in on Monday, the new sheriff fired 28 department employees – in many cases ones Rogers said he felt were too close to Barnes.

“He feels that I was too loyal to Sheriff Barnes and that I will try and undermine his administration,” Mabe wrote. “I know that would not happen and I know that the current employees of the Sheriff’s Office know that I am not that type of person. I was LOYAL not only to Sheriff Barnes but also to Sheriff Burch and Sheriff Proffitt.”

Over the last three decades, Mabe has, among many other contributions to the department, produced thousands of hours of law enforcement training videos – some of which have been viewed not just across the county but across the world.

Some citizens have been highly critical of the way Rogers fired the 28 employees of the department: right before Christmas, by dropping off letters for former Sheriff BJ Barnes and his staff to distribute, and also with what Barnes claimed was little regard to quality of the person’s work.

“Leaving a Sheriff’s Office and job that you love and that has been a part of you for most of your adult life is not easy,” Mabe wrote. “My wife, Treva, knows how this has affected me. When I received a phone call that I was among 27 people being let go, she told me ‘Keep your head up, you have nothing to be ashamed of and that you were part of a group of employees that the in-coming sheriff and his administration is afraid of.’ Thank you Treva for telling me this and I hope that the other 27 employees remember this also.”

He added, “I know that some of you seeing this post will be afraid to like, comment or respond to it. I completely understand but, remember there is the private side of messenger. I have also read a lot of posts that people have made about [how] this needed to be done, this is what a new sheriff does, etc.… Easy to say when it doesn’t affect you or when your heart is hardened.”