Anniston, AL – On Friday August 18, 2023 at the Classic on Noble restaurant in Anniston the Global K-9 Protection Group held an event that honored retired sheriff, Larry Amerson. Paws on Patrol, a division of Global K-9 Protection Group, was going to provide two scholarships for selected Sheriff’s Offices responsible for providing School Resource Officers. These scholarships offered through the Larry Amerson School Safety Scholarship program will provide the two chosen agencies a K-9 trained to detect firearms and the additional training for the two handlers.
The ceremony opened with Global K-9 Protection Group Vice President of Commercial Services, Michael Larkin, thanking Senator Keith Kelley, Mrs. Lisa Amerson, Sheriff Mathew Wade of Calhoun County, Sheriff Andre Brunson of Macon County (recipient), and Sheriff Mark Moon of Bount County (winner), for coming to this inaugural event.
Sherriff Wade was called to the podium where he proudly said that Calhoun County was one of the first to have a K-9 certified through Paws on Patrol and introduced K-9 Quatro and his handler Deputy Chris Williams. K-9 Quatro is currently assigned to the Calhoun County School System and loves to interact with the kids.
Michael Larking returned to the podium to explain how they came up with the new scholarship program. He said that while attending a Sheriff’s Conference he had been approached by a couple different sheriff’s who asked how they could get one of the dogs into their school system. That is where the company decided to start a scholarship fund to assist agencies that may not otherwise be able to fit one of the K-9’s into their budget. When they were working on naming the scholarship many people recommended Larry Amerson’s name to be used. Larry Amerson was in law enforcement for 45 years with 20 of them being the Sheriff of Calhoun County. While he was sheriff, Amerson was able to start the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program, and the 911 system. It was due to all of his accomplishments as sheriff that they use his name for the program.
The first scholarship winner was Sheriff Andre Brunson from Macon County, a third term sheriff. Sheriff Brunson was very proud to be receiving one of the K-9’s for his school district. The sheriff explained that he was in college when a close friend of his was killed. It was at that time that he made the decision to enter a law enforcement career. He worked 23 years as an SRO and said “I am very proud to receive this award. I love Macon County and I appreciate the best training and the best dogs in the world.”
The second scholarship winner was Sheriff Mark Moon from Blount County, a second term sheriff. Sheriff Moon is still active in the military and said he is “all about family, faith, and freedom”. He joined the Army and entered directly into law enforcement when he left full time. Prior to becoming sheriff he was also an SRO. He said that, “It’s an honor to be a recipient of this award and K-9. This is no small thing to us.” He closed by saying “It is an honor to add another level of protection for the children of Blount County.”
Alabama State Senator Keith Kelley also addressed the group to express his thanks for Paws on Patrol to help the school systems in Alabama become more safe. He said that, “A lot of times you don’t get to see the impact” of having a deterrent, such as a firearm detection dog. “We hope these dogs can stop a possible attack before it happens.” Senator Kelley also thanked the Amerson family for what they are doing to continue what Larry Amerson had started.
The final speaker was the wife of Larry, Lisa Amerson, who is also on the Calhoun County School Board. She began by recognizing Dr. Reyes, Superintendent of the Calhoun County School District, the Calhoun County Board of Directors, and Sheriff Mathew Wade. Mrs. Amerson said, “Larry would have been proud to know this partnership was helping. She spoke about his dedication to the community and how he really enjoyed his job serving the Calhoun County. She also went on to say it’s good to know that the, “Amerson legacy of partnerships is going on.”
The Calhoun Journal was able to speak with Mrs. Amerson after the event concluded for lunch. Mrs. Amerson said, “I think its an honor to have Larry’s name associated with this scholarship. He created the SRO program for the Calhoun County School District. He also created a lot of new programs and utilized training after the Columbine tragedy.” She also discussed how the current Sheriff’s Office and the County School Board worked together to place two K-9’s into the school system. The Sheriff’s office securing one K-9 and the School Board securing the other. Mrs. Amerson said, “Larry liked to get very involved with community partnerships and worked hard to maintain them.” Larry Amerson passed away on December 3, 2020 after a long and proud career in law enforcement.
