Dustin Walston, a Deputy Sheriff for the Dare County Sheriff’s Office who serves as a School Resource Officer at First Flight Middle School in Kill Devil Hills, has been named Dare County Employee of the Month for January 2024. The award was presented to Deputy Walston by Chief Deputy Sheriff Jeff Deringer during the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting that was held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.*
Deputy Walston began his service to Dare County on December 14, 2005 and initially served as a patrol deputy for the unincorporated areas of the county, a position in which he was responsible for responding to emergency and non-emergency calls for assistance, conducting initial investigations, collecting evidence, mediating conflicts, and enforcing criminal and traffic-related laws, among many other duties.
Six years ago, Deputy Walston—who holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate—was selected to serve as a School Resource Officer at First Flight Middle School, where he plays a multifaceted role that blends performing various day-to-day law enforcement duties with providing mentorship, guidance, education and support to students.
In addition to maintaining a safe and secure environment for students, staff and visitors by preventing and responding to incidents that occur on school grounds, Deputy Walston’s role also includes serving as a liaison between local law enforcement agencies and the school’s administration, implementing safety drills and providing educational programs on important topics such as drug and alcohol prevention.
During his Employee of the Month presentation, Chief Deputy Deringer also highlighted the fact that Deputy Walston’s dedication to youth in Dare County extends well beyond his role as a School Resource Officer at First Flight Middle School, noting that he is closely involved with Camp S.A.L.T., a fun and educational summer program provided by the Dare County Sheriff’s Office to local children ages 8 to 14.
“He goes above and beyond because [Dare County Sheriff Doug Doughtie’s] Camp S.A.L.T. program is operating in the summertime,” said Chief Deputy Deringer. “Dustin is an integral part where he is out there every day in the summer with the kids of Dare County. He adds to that from his time in the school where he helps them with their homework and is investing in our kids and in our community.”
Described as having a “great heart” and being “a privilege to work with,” Deputy Walston also received sincere praise from his colleagues, one of whom wrote the following in their nomination form recommending that he receive the prestigious honor of being named Dare County Employee of the Month:
“Dustin treats every child as if they were his own and constantly goes above and beyond in all aspects. He has several students who he has taken it upon himself to keep up with [their] grades and make sure he does everything he can for them. He makes sure all their assignments are correct and complete—and if they aren’t, he uses his time to study the assignment and help the student complete and understand the work. Helping students with work is not part of a School Resource Officer’s responsibility, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Dustin is truly an employee you wish you had 10 more of.”
*The January 2024 Dare County Employee of the Month award was presented during the Dare County Board of Commissioners’ April 2024 meeting due to recipient Dustin Walston being unable to attend previously held meetings.