While driving the roads of Clay County recently, you may have noticed an increase in the number of Public Service Aides (PSA) circulating throughout our community. Though their numbers once hovered around a half-dozen, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office now employs nearly thirty of these public servants. Although they interact with the public on a daily basis, many are unaware of the important work done by these PSAs. On this day, we spent some time discussing the mission of the PSAs with Sgt. Courtney Goldsmith, a 7-year member of the squad. In full disclosure, this author met Sgt. Goldsmith, about four years ago, when she was tasked with an off-duty position managing traffic control at an event held near a major thoroughfare in the county. Knowing the heavy traffic and potential danger of the road (and not knowing the skill set of PSA Goldsmith), I met with her prior to the event and encouraged her to “be extra careful” near the roadway and not take any undue risk while managing the event traffic. Always polite, Goldsmith looked at me, smiled, and said, “Sir, I’m always careful, and I can shut down all six lanes of that traffic by myself if I need to,”…and she did. Since that time, Goldsmith has gained more experience, received a promotion to Sergeant, and become a great representative of this very important team. To better understand Sgt. Goldsmith’s longevity on this team, we dug in.

• “Sgt. Goldsmith, what is your favorite part of this job—what keeps you motivated?”

“I absolutely love interacting with the public. I know it sounds silly, but I am a social butterfly and I really enjoy helping people,” replies Sgt. Goldsmith.

• “So, what are the tougher tasks that you face?”

Goldsmith grows serious, “Pulling up to a fatality is always tough. It’s something we never want to experience–it is an unpleasant part of our job. Also, as a supervisor, there are times when the burden of leadership hits a little hard. Sometimes I have to make a tough decision that I know will affect a person’s job and life. I care for my team, and I hate to be the “bad guy,” but it can happen.”

When asked about the workload for the PSAs—especially as the population in Clay County increases– Sgt. Goldsmith shared, “It can get quite busy with no warning. For example, we recently had two missing persons (an older adult and a child) at the same time. We were working both of these calls, and, as a sergeant, I still had to ensure that we were handling other calls that we typically receive. It was a very busy day, but we had a great outcome in both situations.”

Lieutenant Kenneth Wagner, who recently returned to CCSO after leading the Clay County School Board Police Department for the past five years, oversees the PSAs. Speaking to the PSA workload, Lt. Wagner added, “The PSAs are an extremely valuable tool—a true force multiplier. The day when we worked the two missing persons, we had twenty PSAs as part of the search. That’s forty extra eyeballs out there looking, and that’s a game changer.” When asked about the other ways in which the PSAs serve the community, Wagner shared, “PSAs work side-by-side with our crossing guards, they handle parking violations and traffic crash calls, and even handle hit-and-run calls if there is no suspect. The PSAs recently converted to a 12-hour shift, which matches Patrol and allows the PSAs to be a better support for Patrol deputies. Every PSA is also a Notary, so they can perform VIN verifications, and we recently assigned our PSAs to assist with property checks since they are already circulating throughout the county.” When asked if a PSA can write a ticket, Lt. Wagner stated, “Absolutely, as long as it is a non-criminal violation surrounding a crash or parking issue.” Prior to ending our time with Wagner, we wanted to know what he’s observed that made Courtney Goldsmith a good PSA and a good Sgt. “As one of only two PSA Sergeants, she is our most tenured PSA and has leadership abilities that can’t be taught—only honed. Sgt. Goldsmith is knowledgeable, a well-versed trainer, and she takes her role seriously. She is committed to the PSAs, and that does so much for continuity and consistency with future Public Service Aides.”

We asked Sgt. Goldsmith, if she had plans outside of the PSA team. “I get asked that a lot, and it is not uncommon for someone to start as a PSA and eventually want to become a sworn deputy, but that is not my path. I truly enjoy what I’m doing, and I don’t see this role as a stepping stone to something else. We get to work side-by-side with Patrol; we don’t work nights, but we do alternate weekends and handle a lot of crashes. We stay busy, we make a difference, and (as a bonus), I met my husband in this role!”

Before Sgt. Goldsmith returned to service, we asked if there is anything else the public should know about PSAs. “Absolutely!” said Goldsmith, emphatically. “When we are assigned to handle a traffic crash, it’s not uncommon for a civilian to request a “real cop” to work the crash—this seems to happen more with folks who are new to the state and don’t yet understand our role. What I tell them is that while deputies are trained for handling accidents, they also have to do 1,000 other things in the course of their day. PSAs are specifically trained to work crashes, and we work a lot of them. Our training in crash management is extensive, and we are continually working to improve. I can do more than just shut down all six lanes of that road,” she said with a smile.