Civil Deputy Tim Quigg celebrates 40 years in law enforcement

DAYTON-Civil Deputy Tim Quigg has hit a major milestone at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. On November 21, Quigg celebrated four decades of service, with no plans to retire anytime soon.

Quigg took his first steps towards a long law enforcement career in March of 1980. He attended Washington State University, where he majored in journalism and minored in English, with aspirations of becoming a teacher or a writer.

He was working as a clerk at Freddie's Food Mart in Dayton while putting out resumes for his desired field of work. A long-time family friend, Sergeant George Mitchell of the Dayton Police Department, let him know that the department was looking for reserve deputies and dispatchers. It sounded fun enough, so Deputy Quigg applied.

Entering into a Civil Service position, Quigg had to take a written test and go through oral interviews. He was selected as one of the top three candidates and was interviewed for a second time on November 21, 1980, by then-Sheriff Ed Britton and deputies Mark Laughery and Rod Flint. He was offered the job that same evening and has remained in Columbia County law enforcement since.

Deputy Quigg served as a clerk/dispatcher before becoming a Senior Communications Officer in the 9-1-1 center for 28 years (1981-2009). During that time, he also served as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff and had the rare opportunity to see the job from both sides of the field. He graduated with honors from the Washington State Reserve Officers Law Enforcement Academy in 1993, where he received his commission for state-wide arrest authority.

He was a state-certified law enforcement firearms instructor from 1998 until 2005. He served as an instructor to local law enforcement officers and an instructor in three regional Reserve Academies. Quigg currently serves as the Columbia County Sheriff's Department Armorer, ensuring that all department-issued sidearms are in good working order.

From 2010-2013, Quigg served as the Columbia County Communications Center Supervisor until transferring back to the Sheriff's Office as a Civil Deputy. He has held that position for roughly eight years.

Since 2008, Quigg has been the coordinator for the popular National Night Out, working with more than 35 organizations each year to create the event that nearly 1,000 people enjoy at Dayton City Park each August. He also acts as the coordinator for the county's Citizen's Academy.

Over his years of service, Quigg has had the opportunity to serve under seven Columbia County Sheriff's; Ed Britton, Rod Flint, Jim LaTour, Mike Berglund, Walt Hessler, Rocky Miller, and currently Joe Helm. He also has worked with three Chiefs of Police, including Chet Powers, Bill Braun, and Larry Groom.

Quigg has received numerous awards from the Columbia County law enforcement agencies and others throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the Distinguished Service Medal from the National Association of Chiefs of Police, after being wounded in the line of duty.

Though Quigg has quite a bit on his plate, he always makes time to work with the area's youth, sharing his long-held love for hobby model rocketry by forming the Blue Mountain Rocketeers club in 1995 with then State Park Ranger Gary Lentz. Initially working with at-risk youth, the club has grown to more than 80 members from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and beyond.

The dream of becoming a writer never did fade for Quigg. From 2000-2007, Quigg was the Associate Editor for the Extreme Rocketry Magazine and wrote a book about model rocketry. Today, he has a column in Sport Rocketry Magazine. Quigg is the author of published compilations of original poetry.

"It's been a long, enjoyable road serving this community," Quigg said. "40 years ago, I took an oath to protect and to serve, an oath I take very seriously. I hope I have upheld this oath and the standards of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office during my career to the best of my ability. It's been a long and enjoyable time", Quigg said. "I have a great many stories! It has often been a strange and unusual journey, but one I wouldn't trade."

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office would like to say a big "Thank you!" to Quigg for his years of dedicated service to the citizens of Columbia County, and they look forward to his continued service with law enforcement.