Men & Women of the CSO and Their Dedication to Serve

By Erika Neldner

They are there when you need them. It may be a holiday spent away from family or the day someones child hits his/her first home run or has a dance recital, but when duty calls, the men and women of the Cherokee Sheriffs Office answer.

CSO is the largest county government employer, with 378 sworn and 77 civilian positions. It also is one of less than 100 sheriffs offices nationwide with the triple crown: the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), Adult Detention Center (ADC) accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, and ADC accreditation by the American Correctional Association.

When Inv. Dakota Lyvers came to Cherokee, he already had some experience in law enforcement in North Carolina. What he found at CSO was a well-structured department with a strong support system.

The agency is structured on the core values of S.E.R.V.I.C.E. (Strength, Education, Respect, Valor, Integrity, Compassion, and Excellence), said Lyvers, who is also on the SWAT Team. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and varying levels of experience, and everyone here works as a team, not as individuals.

Deputy Yee Re Lee, a newer CSO employee assigned to the Adult Detention Center, quickly found a place full of support and people willing to help each other while serving their community. Lee emigrated to the U.S. from South Korea with his little sister for whom he is the primary caregiver. His parents live in South Korea.

My grandfather served his life as a law enforcement officer in South Korea, and as a child, I always looked up to him and had the utmost respect, Lee said. He was my biggest influencer to becoming a law enforcement officer.

Deputy Aiste Pasekovskyte also followed in family footsteps her father was in law enforcement, and it was something she had wanted to do since she was a little girl. Assigned to the Adult Detention Center, Pasekovskyte interned with CSO while earning her degree in criminal justice. She saw a supportive environment and applied for a job one month after graduating.

Everyone is willing to help out in any way they can, and they want the new hires to do well. That is very helpful for someone who is just starting out, she said.

Deputy Ahmad Foster joined CSO three years ago after working in retail management for five years. He found the skills he learned in his previous career were easily transferable to law enforcement.

For me, its a calling, Foster said. I want to help people as much as I can and give them something to smile about.

He added, If youre looking for a career in law enforcement and want to better yourself, join us. The skills you learn from the sheriffs office will give you a huge investment in your life.

From veteran peace officers to rookies just starting their career, the CSO leadership sets standards for all to meet. With the focus on S.E.R.V.I.C.E., the agency prides itself on providing opportunities for all levels of service and rank.

CSO has two educational partnerships with Reinhardt University and Columbus State University allowing dedicated employees the opportunity to earn associate, bachelors and/or masters degrees.

Education is an important part of what we do internally as an organization, said Capt. Jay Baker. In addition to educational partnerships, we have a division that provides in-service training, keeping our employees educated and trained for the different scenarios they may face in the field.

Longtime CSO employee Lt. David Barone said his experience has shown him that CSO is hands-down one of the most supportive organizations around.

What sets the CSO apart from other law enforcement agencies is the team-first mentality, and that every person from civilians to the command staff are treated like family, and when a life incident takes place, we rally around that person just like a family member would, said Barone, who has been in law enforcement for 20 years. Also, we have the best training afforded to law enforcement in the Southeast.

CSO leaders follow the mentality of supporting their employees, and their employees will take care of their customers the customers being the residents and business owners of Cherokee County. Part of that includes planning for the future.

Cherokee voters approved the jail expansion project with the 2017 Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum. Now under construction, the expansion will add 500 beds to the existing facility. With a larger facility comes the need for more ADC deputies. CSO will hire 30 more employees over the next two years. Hiring for the Adult Detention Center and other positions within the agency is underway. Apply by visiting CherokeeGa-Sheriff.org and click on Recruitment under the Employment tab. Those interested can also call 470-533-9552.

 Inv. Dakota Lyvers
Criminal Investigations Division
Six Years in Law Enforcement
Career Goal: Earn a masters degree and become a lieutenant of a precinct or specialized division
Hobbies: hunting, fishing, Georgia football

Deputy Aiste Pasekovskyte
Adult Detention Center
Four Months in Law Enforcement
Originally from Lithuania
Career Goal: K-9 Unit
Hobbies: music and painting

Deputy Yee Re Lee
Adult Detention Center
Eleven Months in Law Enforcement
Army Reservist
Career Goal: Uniform Patrol and Criminal Investigations
Hobbies: traveling, running, and swimming

Deputy Ahmad Foster
Uniform Patrol
Three Years in Law Enforcement
Career Goal: Traffic Unit and SWAT Team
Hobbies: writing
(currently writing a book)


Lt. David Barone
Office of Professional Standards
(Internal Affairs)
20 Years in Law Enforcement
Career Goal: Continue advancing in leadership at CSO
Hobbies: woodworking and sports memorabilia collecting