Powegian marks 50 years as volunteer sheriff’s deputy

A Poway resident recently celebrated 50 years volunteering as a reserve deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Earlier this month, Sheriff William Gore congratulated Powegian Gerald Hoege on his 50 years as a reserve deputy via Twitter.

“I never expected to make it 50 years,” Hoege said. “I didn’t really start thinking about 50 until my 40^th (year as a reserve deputy), then my 45^th. I thought, ‘This is doable.’”

A reserve deputy is a law enforcement-trained volunteer who assists sheriff’s deputies with their duties, Hoege said. They work on patrol alongside deputies, aiding in both day-to-day duties and emergencies, he added.

“(The reserve deputy role) has always been primarily to support deputies,” Hoege said. He added, “The whole goal of the program is to support deputies in the field. Anything we can do to keep the deputy on his beat.”

Some tasks reserve deputies can assist with, depending on training level, include transporting suspects, conducting suspect interviews and handling paperwork in the field for deputies, Hoege said.

Gerald Hoege at the beginning of his time as a reserve deputy.

(Courtesy photo)

Hoege said he became a reserve deputy because he had been a search and rescue diver with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department in Indiana before moving to Poway in 1970.

“I enjoyed helping people in that capacity,” Hoege said. “And I enjoyed the thought of working with another sheriff’s department.”

There are about 60 reserve deputies with the department, Hoege said. The majority are sworn law enforcement volunteers, meaning they can carry a gun. Citizen volunteers are not sworn and cannot carry a firearm, he added. There will be six new reserve deputy graduates from the training academy in March.

Hoege has worked in several positions over the past five decades. In addition to patrolling with deputies, Hoege said he spent almost 20 years flying helicopters with the department’s Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies, or ASTREA, unit. When the unit brought in new helicopters, Hoege said he went back to patrol duty.

Gerald Hoege as part of the department’s Off Road Enforcement Team.

(Courtesy photo)

He also spent time on the department’s Off Road Enforcement Team, working in the desert and anywhere else that needed off-road equipment, Hoege said. Additionally, he helped train deputies in weapons for their qualifications, he said.

Hoege is now reserve commander. “When the old regime retired, the position for reserve commander opened,” he said. “They put me at the top of the heap. I’m still qualified for patrol. I do what is necessary.” He added his role as commander is more administrative, and the risk of COVID-19 has kept him away from patrolling.

He said the biggest change he has seen in the reserves over the years is the training. While he received training in the early 1970s when he joined, Hoege said the training now is equivalent to what a deputy sheriff receives. “I love the training now,” he said.

Reserve deputies have their uniforms and equipment covered by a stipend from the department, he said. When he joined, they had to purchase their own equipment.

“When I started, I paid for my own gun and gear,” Hoege said. “I bought a six-shooter because that’s what was used in those days.”

His wife, Sara, is also a volunteer with the Poway station of the sheriff’s department, Hoege said. She joined the Senior Volunteer Patrol several years ago after retiring. “She immediately went to the next (SVP) class,” he said. “It’s a joy for her. She really enjoys the (You Are Not Alone) program. She also likes helping deputies with traffic.” He added his wife feels the duties she performs for the deputies through the SVP are rewarding.

It was his career in telecommunications that brought the Hoeges to California from Indiana. After realizing he could wear shorts in January, Hoege said he called his boss in Indiana and said he was not coming back.

The couple briefly lived in Hollywood before moving to Poway in 1970. “Poway has been very good to us,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate.”

Both of them later worked for the Poway Unified School District. Hoege worked in telecommunications and Sara was a school bus driver instructor, he said.

After 50 years as a reserve deputy, Hoege said he has no plans for the future. “I don’t mind staying if I have something to offer,” he said. He added when younger people with new ideas come in, he will most likely retire from the reserve deputies.

When people ask why he has stayed in a volunteer position for 50 years, Hoege said it is because it has been so rewarding.

“Everyone wants to help their community,” he said. “When you join something like this, pay isn’t part of it. I’m being selfish when I say I’m having fun. I get a lot out of it, plus the training and experience. I’d recommend it to anyone with the same idea I had (of wanting to help their community).”