Officer down - The Brewton Standard

Archives: Story: "Shirley Pettis is getting ready to take a big step. In a few weeks she will retire from the Escambia County Sheriff's Department. She is planning to devote her time to grandchildren, fishing and hunting. She might even put in a little time taking life easy, but for now, she is trying to tie up the loose ends and find a time when she can walk out the door for the last time.

Pettis went to work in the sheriff's office when Tim Hawsey took office. She worked in the substation in Atmore.

“He was the minister of music at First Baptist Church of Atmore, which we attend,” she said. “In 1984 I went full-time and began to travel to Brewton every day to work in the main office.”

She came to Brewton as the sheriff's chief clerk. She went to reserve academy in 1985 and graduated from Southeast Alabama Police Academy in 1987. She graduated as a deputy sheriff.

“I don't know if it is true, but I was told that I was the first woman to be certified as a deputy in Escambia County,” Pettis said. “It helped me with my work a lot. I could serve warrants, civil papers and search warrants. I also was able to work with the court and do other things that required a certified officer. Of course I still continued to work here in the office, too."