The Guilford County Sheriff’s Department was grieving this week over the deaths of two former officers who were considered real treasures by those who worked with them.
On Sunday, June 2, Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers issued a statement regarding the two.
“In the past several days, the families of MCPL [Master Corporal] Rhonda Shaw and Retired Captain Ben Scarboro have suffered major losses to their families,” Rogers’ statement read. “The GCSO [Guilford County Sheriff’s Office] has truly lost two awesome individuals that left major positive influences in the Iives of the working family members of our Sheriff’s Office.”
Scarboro died on Friday, May 31 at the age of 77 in the care of hospice. Before joining the Sheriff’s Department, he worked as a police officer for over a decade with the Greensboro Police Department.
In his years with the Sheriff’s Department, Scarboro made major contributions including the creation of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team – known as SERT – and the Hostage Negotiator Team.
According to a Sunday Facebook post on the Sheriff’s Department’s page, Scarboro “was the vision and trend setter in many more milestones the Sheriff’s Office benefits from today.”
Likewise, Shaw will be greatly missed by those in the department who knew and loved her. Known by coworkers as “Rhonda ‘Work Mom’ Shaw,” she’s being called “an amazing woman and officer” in a statement about her from the department.
“All of us that had the privilege to work with this sweet lady can tell multitudes of stories how she was supportive and uplifting whenever you spoke with her,” it reads. “She was definitely the work mom and an angel of kindness needed here every day. Please keep her family in your prayers. We love you, Rhonda.”
Rogers, in his public statement on Sunday, said, “Their leadership and presence will truly be missed,” and he added, “My prayers and condolences are with each family and the GCSO Office. As we live our lives out to the end time that God has for us…we believe to be absent from the body that we will be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). May they rest in peace with the Lord.”
I’m gratified that Sheriff Rogers chose to quote such an apposite Bible verse.