There’s a new deputy in town
‘D.J.’ brings jokes, smiles while sworn in at 5 police departments
SARANAC LAKE — Devarjaye “D.J.” Daniel raised his right hand five times and was sworn in as an honorary member of five local police departments at a ceremony on Monday at the Harrietstown Town Hall.
D.J, 12, of Houston, Texas, was diagnosed at the age of 6 with a rare form of brain and spinal cancer for which there is no cure — stage three anaplastic ependymoma.
For the past few years, he and his father Theodis and his brothers have traveled the country and the world on D.J.’s mission to be sworn in by as many law enforcement agencies as possible. Currently, he’s gathered more than 870 departments.
On Monday, he added the Saranac Lake Police, Plattsburgh Police, Malone Police, Essex County Sheriff’s Department and the New York State Police.
“Everybody, I give you … badge number 030 of the Saranac Lake Police Department,” SLPD Chief Darin Perrotte said as the audience exploded in applause after he was sworn in.
“What do you think?” Perrotte asked Daniel.
Daniel said he’d have to whisper in Perrotte’s ear because the news microphones were nearby. Perrotte bent down as D.J. cupped his hear and broke out in a big laugh.
This happened numerous times throughout the day, with D.J.’s quips and jokes eliciting laughter echoing off the walls of the town hall’s auditorium.
When he walked in the room, he shook hands with and hugged everyone and had some banter for each person — razzing Harrietstown Councilman Jeremy Evans for his smooth hands and Saranac Lake Trustee Matt Scollin for his smooth head. Essex County Sheriff Sgt. Thomas Forbes said D.J. had nicer equipment on his utility belt than he did.
D.J. even told reporters a police joke.
“Why’d the duck go to jail?” he said, pausing for effect. “Because he was smoking quack!”
He then asked, “Where’s the chief at so I can tell him that one?”
D.J. is a talker — quick-witted and observant with a dry humor — always whispering things that make people bust up laughing.
“Since you walked in the door, the spirit and personality that you just radiate made every single person in here smile, and that’s contagious,” Forbes told him.
Though he can’t make arrests in the village, his words carry power. After an off-hand joke about doughnuts, organizers realized there weren’t any and deployed a tactical team to acquire a couple dozen for the festivities.
The village of Saranac Lake and town of Harrietstown both passed proclamations commending and respecting D.J.’s courageousness and marking every Sept. 27 in town as “D.J. Daniel Day.” The ceremony was initially scheduled for the 27th, but took place on Sept. 30 because the Daniels were delayed by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in the South while they were traveling north.
On the way up, he stopped in Ticonderoga, where he was sworn in by several law enforcement agencies and given a VIP tour of the Star Trek Original Series Set museum.
The visit was organized by Perrotte and the WNBZ FM radio station. WNBZ station Program Director Rick Woodhouse came across D.J.’s story one morning while preparing for the show, and said he was touched and knew he wanted to get D.J. sworn in in the Adirondacks.
When Woodhouse and retired SUNY Plattsburgh University Police officer Tom Sullivan gave D.J. a patch honoring former UP Lt. Robert Mesec, who died in a motorcycle crash in 2021 at age 44, Woodhouse began tearing up. He had done graphic design work for the motorcycle club Mesec had been president of, and this patch was his last patch design for his friend.
D.J. empathized with Woodhouse, comforted him and made him smile by taking Woodhouse’s glasses to wipe his tears and trying them on himself.
Woodhouse said D.J. is a unique person, who at 12, can be so mature.
“It’s powerful, to say the least,” Woodhouse said of seeing D.J. in Saranac Lake after months of planning to get him here.
Each department gave D.J. gifts of badges, patches, hats, challenge coins and even an exclusive NYSP purple tie, which got a big reaction from the law enforcement in the room. This tie is a big deal to them. When D.J. clipped the tie to Perrotte’s collar — putting a State Police tie on a village police chief — law enforcement officers rushed over to photograph the unprecedented event.
D.J. showed off his baton and compared utility belt accessories with the older officers. Perrotte said everyone, law enforcement included, have those days where they don’t want to go to work or are stressed about the little things.
“If a 12-year-old boy can get up every morning, put on that uniform and strap on those boots and say ‘I’m going to go out there. I’m going to go achieve my goals.’ Then we really have nothing to complain about,” Perrotte said.
He gave the stage to D.J. to share his thoughts.
“Stay safe out there, believe in God and keep your head up. If you see somebody having a bad day, just ask them. Don’t mind to give them a hug. That’s about it,” D.J. said.
As the crowd began to applaud, he stopped them for one more request.
“And please pray for kids who have brain cancer,” he said.
D.J.’s father, Theodis, said his whole family believes in spreading joy. Theodis said cancer affects everyone. Everyone will be touched by it at some point. The only thing people can do is make each others lives better.
He said the ceremonies are a form of treatment for D.J., with a noticeable difference in his health when he’s on the road and pursuing his dream.
Woodhouse said Theodis has an “unwavering resolve.”
SLPD officers gave D.J. a ride-along tour of town in a squad car, visiting the NYSP barracks in Ray Brook — the gun range, the investigator’s offices and the vehicle garage and then the Adirondack Carousel in William Morris Park.
Hotel Saranac staff, after learning about D.J.’s visit, gave his family a free night stay at the hotel so they could spend more time in the area.
HK Boat Rentals, owned by Andrew and Ashley Milne, offered the family a boat rental, so they could go fishing. Theodis said he brought a fishing pole up from Texas in their trunk.
At the end of the ceremony, at D.J.’s request, everyone formed a long line for hugs again.
Theodis said they have plans to come back to northern New York soon, to get D.J. sworn in at any departments who couldn’t make the ceremony on Monday.
To learn more about D.J.’s story, go to tinyurl.com/25ahv77j.