SAN ANTONIO – In a historic ceremony Monday afternoon, Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau accepted the gun and badge used by former Bexar County Sheriff Albert West.
West served one term as sheriff, starting in 1935. Prior to that, he worked as a Texas Ranger.
He was the first sheriff to enforce Prohibition while also cracking down on gambling.
The items were donated by Gary and Carroll Montgomery of Montague County.
A grandson of West said the former sheriff was pretty modest when it came to sharing stories of his time in law enforcement.
"My grandmother would bring them up more often or other family members. But he would tease her occasionally and he would say, "Oh, so and so is getting out of prison and so he'll probably come looking for me." And he just did that to kind of tease her," said Albert West's grandson, Bill West.
Pamerleau said said that although the Sheriff's Office has grown to almost 1,900 employees, the role of its deputies remains the same as when West led the agency.
The gun and badge will go on display at the Witte Museum.