Jefferson County District 48 Constable Jonathan Barbee hosted an appreciation dinner and awards ceremony Thursday evening.
The dinner, sponsored by Martin’s BBQ Joint in Cahaba Heights, honored Deputy Constables who have been serving their community. The event was held at the New Merkel Community Center in Vestavia Hills. Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley C. Curry was the featured speaker of the evening. Mayor Curry spoke about his years as an FBI agent and the experiences he learned from. He also applauded the Deputy Constables for their volunteer efforts in the City of Vestavia and throughout the county.
“Volunteers are so important to a community. I’ve seen many of you out working in Vestavia and other cities. What you are doing is so important to the people of Jefferson County. On behalf of Vestavia and its citizens, I want to thank you for all your efforts,” said Mayor Ashley Curry.
Constable Barbee spoke about the history of Constables and how District 48 has grown in the last several years. He then presented awards and promotions to 11 Deputy Constables.
“This night is about honoring the members of our team who have shown outstanding service to our community. We want to make sure they are recognized for the great job they are doing,” said Constable Jonathan Barbee
Deputy Constables are volunteer community court officers that are mostly responsible for delivery of court documents, but also provide assistance with traffic control in construction zones or at the scenes of traffic accidents. Deputy Constables also provide assistance with security at events and are visibly seen patrolling neighborhoods when they are serving court documents.
District 48 covers Vestavia Hills, Cahaba Heights, Mountain Brook, and South Birmingham’s 280 Corridor. Constables were first in law enforcement in Alabama, even before county Sheriffs. Constables are elected officials and are elected by state House districts in Jefferson County. Only 24 of Alabama’s 67 counties have Constables at the present time. Jefferson County has one of the most active programs in Alabama.
Here are some of the Awards and promotions given out during the evening:
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Chief Deputy Brian Less received an Award of Excellence for dedication and service.
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Assistant Constable Ronald Barbee received an Outstanding Service Award.
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Deputy Robert Colvert received an Outstanding Service Award, a Proclamation from Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer for assisting a motorist who had a seizure and was promoted to Lieutenant of District 48.
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Deputy Chase Sims received an Award of Excellence and was promoted to Sergeant over Special Services.
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Deputy Joanne Sellers Barbee received an Outstanding Service Award and was promoted to Sergeant over the Civil Court Services.
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Deputy Daniel Bates received a Service Award for being an active Reserve Deputy.
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Deputy Terry Perry received a Perfect Attendance Award for always being on time and never missing a day of work or volunteering.
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Emile Courtney and Ron Dieterich were sworn in as a new Deputy Constables.
