Four Sheriff’s Offices to renew Four Corners agreement in Melrose on October 7

Updated on October 6: Due to the approach of Hurricane Milton, this event has been postponed to a future date.

Press release from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Putnam County Sheriff’s Office

MELROSE, Fla. – The City of Melrose gets some special attention from its unique geography. Melrose is a small community predominantly in Putnam County but also encompasses parts of Alachua, Bradford, and Clay counties as well. Four counties come together there and split the city. Alachua County, Bradford County, Clay County, and Putnam County all have a part of the jurisdiction. This close proximity of so many county borders presents jurisdictional issues for the four sheriff’s offices involved, but on March 24, 2008, the first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed. The original MOU that ran through to April 15, 2009, allowed deputies from one agency to arrest a violent felony offender across county lines into another agency’s jurisdiction and exercise other law enforcement authority as is necessary and appropriate. The first MOU was called the “Four Corners Cops Without Borders.”

Recognizing the importance of the agreement, it was renewed in 2011. The four current Sheriffs – Emery Gainey (Alachua County), Gordon Smith (Bradford County), Michelle Cook (Clay County), and Gator DeLoach (Putnam County) – will gather once again at Mossman Hall at 10 a.m. on October 7 to renew the agreement. This is a truly unique agreement and shows the commitment of the four Sheriffs to keeping the community safe.