The sheriffs of Alachua, Bradford, Clay and Putnam counties signed an extension on Monday of the Four Corners Agreement in Melrose following a lapse in the contract.
The agreement started in 2008 and outlines policies for enforcement in unincorporated Melrose, which straddles the border of all four counties along with three judicial circuits. Under circumstances in the agreement, deputies can enter other counties to arrest and assist in enforcement.
The agreement erases the impact of the unique geography since, as each sheriff mentioned, suspects cross boundaries without concern. The four current sheriffs—Emery Gainey for Alachua County, Gordon Smith for Bradford County, Michelle Cook for Clay County and Gator DeLoach for Putnam County—signed Monday’s extension through Jan. 30, 2025.
The agreement has been renewed multiple times since the first edition but recently lapsed. DeLoach said that lapse had to do with former Alachua Sheriff Clovis Watson Jr., who stepped down last year. DeLoach said it’s right for the agreement to return like it should have been all along.
Since Watson’s retirement, the state of Florida launched an investigation into his administration.
Gainey, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill Watson’s seat, said the hiccup is over. He said the agreement will help to quickly and efficiently arrest suspects and said Alachua County remains ready to aid its neighboring sheriffs.
“That’s over; we’re here back to cooperate together—unequivocally,” Gainey said.
DeLoach gave his support to Gainey for the upcoming sheriff’s election and encouraged Alachua County residents who attended to do the same.
Cook said the agreement allows seamless aid to flow from one county to the next. She noted that Bradford and Clay counties recently joined to deal with armed suspects at a trailer park.
“It’s about making sure that we, on the back end, have the proper paperwork, as silly as that sounds, in place so that when our deputies are out here doing God’s work their arrests are valid….” Cook said.
When identifying a suspect with an active arrest warrant, capias warrant, juvenile pickup order or custody order, the agreement allows deputies to notify the jurisdiction where they are located and then arrest the suspect.
If deputies have probable cause concerning a serious, violent felony offense, the agreement stipulates they must contact the jurisdiction’s communications center to relay the information. The watch commander for that jurisdiction will then decide to allow the arrest or wait.
Cook added that the agreement also protects the sheriff’s deputies in case of injury or incidents that may occur. The agreement provides all the powers, duties, rights, privileges, and immunities to these deputies as if they were in the county that employs them.
Besides the intersection of four counties with four different sheriff’s offices, State Attorney Brian Kramer said that Melrose is also where three judicial circuits meet—the Eighth Judicial Circuit with Alachua and Bradford counties, the Fourth Judicial Circuit with Clay County and the Seventh Judicial Circuit with Putnam County.
Kramer, who serves for the Eighth Judicial Circuit, said the state attorneys also work together to ensure arrests lead to convictions.
“We appreciate the support from our law enforcement partners as we know criminals do not adhere to jurisdictional boundaries and this [agreement] will allow our deputies and the deputies of the surrounding counties to protect our communities without hindrance,” said the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the majority of Melrose, on Facebook.