TPSO deputy’s widow accepts DARE award

There were never bad words uttered about the late Terrebonne Parish deputy Timothy Bergeron, who dedicated 27 years of his life on the force and 20 years as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) officer.

“I could go on for years about Timmy,” Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois said after Bergeron’s death. “There are so many stories, and I promise you not a single one is bad.”

His co-workers characterized him as a hero, and his altruistic demeanor did not go unnoticed by the state of Louisiana either. On July 15, Bourgeois accompanied Maj. Bergeron’s wife, Kate Bergeron, as she accepted the state 2010 DARE Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf. On July 22, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bergeron was also presented with the National DARE Officer of the Year Award on her late husband’s behalf.

Bergeron’s dedication to the DARE program was evident before any awards, however.

“Timmy devoted his time and life to his community, his students and the DARE program,” the sheriff said.

“He was the type of guy who never took credit,” Capt. Martin McLendon of the Opelousas Police Department said after Bergeron’s funeral. “He just wanted to see the DARE program continue to succeed.”

Bourgeois said Bergeron also enjoyed being involved in instructing other law enforcement officers in order to enhance their field of expertise.

“Timmy was a mentor to all and touched the lives of many,” Bourgeois said in a press release. “He achieved all of the goals he set for himself.”

Bergeron was a member of the Louisiana Sheriff Association, Louisiana D.A.R.E Association, National D.A.R.E Association, National School Resource Officer’s Association, Terrebonne Parish Red Ribbon Committee, Terrebonne Parish S.W.A.T. and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office Motorcycle teams.

But out of all of the organizations Bergeron was a member of, his time spent as a DARE officer is what’s remembered most.

“Timmy is known as ‘The DARE Man,’ and as a true hero in Terrebonne Parish,” Bourgeois said.

Kate Bergeron, widow of Maj. Timothy Bergeron, accepts the National DARE Officer of the Year Award on her late husband’s behalf. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois (at right) accompanied her to the ceremony. COURTESY PHOTO