Honoring Officer Brett Dickey

ELLIJAY, Ga. – Today marks 22 years since the passing of Deputy Brett C. Dickey, killed in the line of duty with the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office.

Today also saw Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office remember this officer by laying a wreath at his monument. A now annual memento of service in the county, Nicholson said he would continue the memorial service as long as he remains sheriff of Gilmer County as Dickey was “very deserving of being honored.”

The sheriff’s office also posted a note to social media saying:

Today we honor his memory as Sheriff Nicholson and the GCSO Honor Guard place this wreath at his monument and fly the flag at half staff at the Gilmer County Courthouse. The monument dedicated to him reads “Through the hearts and lives he touched and his fellow officers, this HERO lives on.”

Nicholson called his death a devastating loss to his family, to the sheriff’s office, and to the community. “He was not just any old police officer, he was a true public servant, and he was good guy,” Nicholson said.

Service like this is not something entered into lightly. Officers know of the risks involved in the job. Many claim a “calling” to the position. It may be a need to help others or perhaps an obligation knowing that the job has to have someone. It is always a loss to a community when tragedy strikes. However, memorials like this become a drive for those who remain. A loss can be motivation, a loss can lead to strength. A loss can be so much more than just pain.

Citizens can visit the courthouse to see the wreath for Dickey and honor him next to the main entrance at the foot of the flagpole.