Christmas card drive supports Somerset sheriff's deputy

Paper work is ubiquitous in police work.

Forms must be filled out, reports must be written and tickets must be issued.

For more than 20 years at the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, Lt. Lorenzo "Rennie" Miles has been no stranger to paperwork.

But on Tuesday, Dec. 20, Miles had his desk covered in stacks and stacks of a different kind of paperwork: More than 500 Christmas cards from around the country, as far away as California and Alabama.

"This is one of the best Christmas presents I've ever got," Miles said, picking up a card off his desk. "It means a whole lot to me, because it's not what you can get in your hands that counts. It's knowing what people think about you, how they care."

Miles was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Nov. 17. While the diagnosis came just before the start of the holiday season, Miles said his profession helped him deal with the news.

"The things you experience in law enforcement makes you learn to take the tough things easy," Miles said. "It's been a blessing that the cancer didn't spread to my liver. I thank God everyday because just because you're on top of the mountain doesn't mean you're always going to be up there. I am blessed with a lot of good people in my life."

Two of those people, according to Miles, are Somerset Sheriff Ronnie Howard and Chief Deputy George Nelson. The three worked early on in their careers for the Somerset County Bureau of Investigation, with Nelson and Miles as deputies and Howard as a state trooper.

When Nelson said he heard the news while vacationing in Florida, he said it "set me back."

"Rennie is one of our top investigators and he has taught various interrogation techniques to other agencies around the country," Nelson said. "When they heard the news, they started calling to see how he was doing."

After posting a few updates on Miles's condition on the sheriff's office's Facebook page, Nelson requested the public send Christmas cards to the lieutenant.

"The post started getting shared and liked, then the next thing we know, we started getting Christmas cards coming in," Nelson said. "It really touched him. Just one of those times social media actually did some good."

Handmade cards from classrooms, church groups and everyday citizens were sent to the office, offering hopes and prayers to the long-time lawman. Miles said there's not one particular card that stands out to him.

"All of them stick out to me," Miles said. "Nobody has ever done anything for me like this. In the law enforcement community, we always come out to help one another because we're putting on lives on the line everyday. But the outpouring from the public has been overwhelming."

While the sheriff's office may have collected cards up to Christmas Day, people in the community can still support Miles by purchasing T-shirts from the office. Paid for by local businesses, Nelson said the proceeds will go towards Miles' cancer procedures. The office will also be holding a cornhole tournament on Feb. 18 at the Princess Anne Fire Department, Nelson added.

In the mean time, Miles will have a lot of paper work to sort through over the holidays.

"I gave him a letter opener to make it easier," Nelson said. "He can sit back on his recliner and enjoy himself reading these cards."

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