Three men who broke the color line

Only a few years after Oconee desegregated its public schools at the end of the 1960s did local police welcome men of color to their ranks.  And this month, as part of Black History Month, the Oconee Sheriff’s Office pays tribute to three African-American deputies who helped pave the way for inclusion and diversity in its office.  The three are Harry Benson, Dennis Wilkes, and Jerry Moss.  Benson, who later would become a state policeman, is believed to have been the first African-American deputy hired by both the then sheriffs Floyd Owens and his successor, Myron Green.  Dennis Wilkes joined the sheriff’s office after three years in the army.  He spent 24 years in all in the law enforcement field.  Back when Jerry Moss went to work for Sheriff Earle Holcombe, deputies were required to buy their own service weapons.  Money was tight, and Moss could not afford a gun due to being out of work.  Holcombe decided that wasn’t going to stop him from hiring Moss, and Moss was supplied with his first service weapon.