Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010

Officers: Suggs deserving of Extreme Makeover

Horry County Police officers speak highly of Derrick Suggs, one of their own.

Horry County Police Chief Johnny Morgan had to keep secret for a month that Suggs had been selected as the recipient on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," but he was glad to do it for such a deserving policeman, he said.

"He is just an outstanding officer," said Morgan. "He goes out and above the normal call of duty, especially when it comes to children."

Morgan said his dedication to the community and to children shows not only during his work hours, but at home as well.

Since they've been married, Suggs and his wife have taken in six of her siblings when they were struggling to live in an unstable environment.

"He's done an amazing job with those kids. Two of them are in the military and one of them just got married," Morgan said. "He was raising them and helping them get through school while having two kids of their own. To do all that on an officer's salary just shows how outstanding he is."

But Suggs, 28, would not have come to the attention of the "Extreme" team on his own.

It was his COT mates, or Community Orientation Team, who wrote the letter that got Suggs and his family selected for the show.

"He's sacrificed his own needs, his own things that he could have so they could have a home, and I think it's time he deserves something for himself," said Cpl. Brandon Strickland, one of the officers who nominated him.

Strickland, who grew up with Suggs, describes him as a caring man dedicated to his family and his job who puts a lot of pride into everything he does.

"He's a very humble person," Strickland said. "He's not the type of person that ever looks for handout."

In fact, Suggs is the opposite. Even though he didn't have much, he was always looking for ways to give to others, Strickland said.

"He'd do for someone else and go without," he said.

He said Suggs is just as deserving as any family that has been on the show because of everything he has done for all of his wife's siblings.

Suggs could have been a lot better off, but he made the decision to take in the kids at a young age when he was newly married, Strickland said.

"[He] took them from a bad situation ... and turned their lives around, there's no telling where those kids would be," he said.

But Suggs isn't one who would complain about his situation.

"He was a private person," Morgan said. "He wouldn't go out talking about the condition of his home. If it hadn't been for his fellow COT officers hanging out and stopping by his house, they would have never known."

When Suggs' floor looked as if it was about to fall in, his teammates pitched in to repair it as best they could.

As an officer, Suggs is exemplary as well, Morgan said.

In 2009, Suggs and another officer were commended for helping to resuscitate an infant who had stopped breathing.

Suggs also was a leader in the annual "Shop with a Cop" program, in which officers take area youths shopping at Christmas to buy gifts for their families and themselves.

"He does that on his own time," Morgan said. "It's so heartwarming to see the community band together for someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty."

Staff writer Aliana Ramos contributed to this report.