SMALLWOOD — Members of Sullivan County’s law enforcement community were joined by the friends and family of Darryl Yates on Saturday for a special dedication at the Smallwood Forest Reserve.
Yates, 53, was a lifelong resident of Sullivan County and a well-known constable in the Town of Bethel. He passed away unexpectedly in September and, on Saturday, a bench was dedicated in his honor at the Smallwood Forest Reserve.
“In the Town of Bethel we are extremely grateful to have our constables in addition to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and of course the New York State Troopers, but our Bethel residents rely first on our Bethel Constables,” said town of Bethel Supervisor Dan Sturm. “The town and I our grateful for each and every one of you.”
Sturm continued, “I think being a police officer takes a special kind of courage as they run towards danger, and they are the person residents turn to when they are most desperate. Our police officers, like Darryl Yates, are good, honest, fair and they care deeply about our community.”
Yates is remembered by those who knew him as a dedicated public servant and committed member of the Bethel community.
Yates, along with his friend and partner, Officer John Panos were awarded the Citizenship Award from the Town of Bethel for saving a drowning man from the waters of White Lake in 2011.
“He was a good police officer. He was a proud officer, and it showed,” Sturm said.