Buddy Phillips: Post-Script

It has been an honor to be able to retell the story of beloved lawman, J.M. "Buddy" Phillips. As an enthusiast of local law enforcement lore, I have been aware of Phillips's story for years, and recently, it dawned on me that there is a new generation of Suwannee Countians who have moved here in the last decade and may not know who Phillips was or his significance to Florida law enforcement history. To be able to start from being a jailer while still in high school to becoming sheriff of seven Florida counties and ultimately leading the Florida Sheriff's Association is a testament to Phillips’s dedication to public safety. I could not have written this story without the help of several i