The Clearfield County sheriff says his 500-plus member posse could have helped during the search for a missing teenager last week.

We have more on why he’s no longer waiting just for police or fire departments to call him.

Sheriff Wes Thurston says his posse is ready to go with volunteers, but as of now, they haven’t been called out for any searches.

“They said they didn’t need us,” says Thurston.

Thurston says while he heard later about the Clearfield flood, he did know about the autistic teen missing near Woodland last week while it was happening.

“I offered my services for the posse to the state police. They decided they didn’t need the posse,” says Thurston.

He’s now welcoming parents or guardians in this type of search to call him or his chief deputy directly at 553-1750 or 553-1368, and they’ll start the phone tree. 

“I work for the people, and if the people want me to come, all they have to do is call me,” says Thurston.

Thurston says fire police helped find the missing teen in 15 hours, but a larger group could have worked faster.

“I could have had 100 people, probably,” says Thurston.

“I think that they found the child quickly and there was no need. I mean, I think the sheriff’s posse would be something of a possible larger scale, but if needed, we would also come to the rescue of one,” says posse member Mark Reed.

Reed says he was impressed with the teamwork at June’s training exercise, which reminded him of his time in the Air Force and the Army reserves.

“I’ve thought about serving again, and I think a lot of us have said the same thing, and this was a way in which we could serve again,” says Reed.

Some of the 500 posse members are training dogs, and doing inventory on supplies.

“We know who has power tools, for example, if you have a power saw, if you have a generator,” says Reed.

And, they’re waiting for the call.

“If 9-1-1 wants to get a hold of me, they have our numbers,” says Thurston.

“We’re kind of hoping that we never have to be activated. That would mean that there is something, some people are hurting,” says Reed.

Thurston says any police or fire department in the county that’s interested in using the posse can still contact him as well.