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Sheriffs from four counties renew agreement to provide policing in unincorporated Melrose

A welcome sign outside Mossman Hall at 301 SR 26, Melrose, greeted sheriffs from four area counties who met to renew the Four Corners Agreement on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Regan Roberts / WUFT News)
A welcome sign outside Mossman Hall at 301 SR 26, Melrose, greeted sheriffs from four area counties who met to renew the Four Corners Agreement on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Regan Roberts / WUFT News)

Four north central Florida sheriffs met in a historic building on State Road 26 on Monday to renew an agreement that commits their agencies to share law enforcement jurisdiction over Melrose, an unincorporated area approximately 17 miles east of Gainesville.

The agreement, originally signed on March 24, 2008, was named “Four Corners Cops Without Borders” and allowed the partnering law enforcement agencies to make arrests and respond to crimes in the community of about 3,500 people where the four counties come together.

The pact is between Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, Putnam County Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach, Bradford County Sheriff George Paul “Gordon” Smith and Alachua County Sheriff Emery A. Gainey.

Former Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell said the unincorporated community of Melrose created a law enforcement dilemma because jurisdiction didn’t belong to any one county. She and the three other county sheriffs partnered to create what she called “a natural outcome” by sharing responsibility for policing the area.

County sheriffs from Alachua, Bradford, Clay and Putnum counties stand during the presentation of colors at the beginning of the ceremony on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Regan Roberts/WUFT News)
County sheriffs from Alachua, Bradford, Clay and Putnum counties stand during the presentation of colors at the beginning of the ceremony on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Regan Roberts/WUFT News)

Current Alachua County Sheriff Emery Gainey said counties handle the split jurisdiction practically. When someone calls 911, the call goes to the respective communication center in the county the person is in.

The communication centers of the four counties coordinate with each other to see which sheriff’s office has an available deputy sheriff in the area. From there, the closest law enforcement officer responds to the situation.

The four sheriffs attending the ceremony to renew the Four Corners Cops Without Borders agreement: Alachua County Sheriff Emery A. Gainey, Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and Putnam County Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach. (Regan Roberts / WUFT News)
The four sheriffs attending the ceremony to renew the Four Corners Cops Without Borders agreement: Alachua County Sheriff Emery A. Gainey, Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and Putnam County Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach. (Regan Roberts / WUFT News)

“This agreement allows us to immediately respond in (any) of the three other counties to effect an arrest when we got an ongoing felony situation,” Gainey said.

“We’re proud of the opportunity to sign this together,” he said during the renewal.

Gainey said the four county sheriff’s offices have had no miscommunication when figuring out which county will respond.

“It’s about catching the bad guys,” said Smith with the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office during the ceremony. “Taking those boundaries away allows us to do the right thing to keep our community safe.”

The Four Corners Agreement is important, especially in unincorporated areas like Melrose, because of the proximity of the four counties, said Cook with Clay County.

“The person who’s calling for help, it doesn’t matter where they are at in a community like Melrose,” Cook said. “Someone’s going to show up quickly and going to help.”

Regan is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.