Thursday, May 01, 2008 Jacksonville, Fla.    

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office recognized the six employees of the month and presented four Medals of Merit, one Six Pillars of Character award, and a special presentation during the monthly Sheriff's Meritorious Awards Ceremony on April 17. 

"These awards ceremonies give me the opportunity to publicly recognize the excellent work of the men and women of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in service to the citizens of Jacksonville. Their actions demonstrate their commitment to excellence day in and day out," said Sheriff John Rutherford.     

Police Officer of the Month ~ sponsored by Burger King; Police Officer Kim A. Clausen, Zone 4
Police Officer Kim A. Clausen is the April recipient because of her excellent investigative skills which launched an investigation, dubbed "Operation Spending Spree", of a complex auto burglary and organized forgery scheme. The scam was shut down and five suspects arrested in June and July of 2007 on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) charges and are currently in jail on $500,000 bond each.

Corrections Officer of the Month~ Sponsored by Coggin Automotive; Corrections Officer Donald B. Boston, Pre-Trial Detention Facility
Donald D. Boston is the Corrections Officer of the Month because his quick actions prevented a serious incident from escalating into a life threatening situation in the Intake Area of the Pre-Trial Detention Facility. 
                                          
Donald was processing a recently arrested inmate in the Intake vestibule, when a loaded 9 mm pistol fell onto the floor. Officer Boston was able to maintain control of the inmate while removing the weapon from the immediate vicinity. His quick response to the situation prevented the other Corrections personnel and arrestees from potential danger.

Civilian Employee of the Month~ Sponsored by Solantic; Clerical Support Aide III Renee D. Barnhart, Community Affairs Division, Special Events Unit 
Renee Barnhart is April's Civilian of the Month because of the excellent results she produces in the Special Events Unit of the Community Affairs Division. For example, in 2007 she assisted with five charity events that JSO produced: Light the City, a charity motorcycle ride; Guns n' Hoses, a charity boxing event;  I Shot with the Sheriff, a skeet shoot;  The Police and Fire Poker Run, a fundraising boat regatta held on the St John's River; and the Sheriff's Cup Charity Golf Classic. Combined, these events grossed more than $375,000 for local charities including the Police Athletic League and Concerns of Police Survivors.  She also assisted in the planning of numerous other events including Police Memorial Day and the Safety Patrol Play Day. Renee aided with all of these events in addition to her regular clerical support duties in the Special Events Unit. 
 

Reserve Officer of the Month ~ Sponsored by Nimnicht Chevrolet; Morris Napier
Reserve Officer Morris Napier is the April Reserve Officer of the Month because of the professional way he handled an incident on Nov. 30, 2007. Reserve Ofc. Napier was instrumental in assisting the owners of the Arlington Discount Beverage, who were victimized by two suspects who had cashed forged paychecks at the business. He located the addresses of the suspects, notified other businesses in the area of the crime, and collected the store's surveillance tape.

Reserve Ofc. Napier has been a valuable member of the JSO Reserve Officer Unit for 22 years and has served with the Narcotics Unit, Vice Unit, Burglary Unit, Patrol Division, and Crime Scene Preservation.
 

Police Supervisor of the Month ~Sponsored by Stein-Mart; Police Sergeant William T. Wilkerson, Community Affairs Division, School Resource Officers
April's Police Supervisor of the Month is Sergeant William T. Wilkerson. He received this honor because he understands the importance of making our agency's processes as "LEAN" as possible. He consistently seeks out new ideas and better ways of conducting JSO's day to day business more efficiently and effectively.

                                                     
He participated in two Rapid Improvement Events (RIE) facilitated by the JSO Continuous Improvement Unit (CIU). Sgt. Wilkerson and his teammates improved the tracking system for managing case investigations (MCI) and created a webpage that displays JSO Noteworthy events in real time for all officers to view.
                                                      
Corrections Supervisor of the Month ~ Sponsored by Bealls Inc.; Corrections Sergeant Adraine L. Head, Pre-Trial Detention Facility
Corrections Sergeant Adraine L. Head is the Corrections Supervisor of the Month because of her excellent training skills. Sgt. Head trains the more than 100 employees on her watch by conducting emergency training drills that use all areas of the Pre-Trial Detention Facility. She is also responsible for training the recruits in the Field Training Officer program. The officers must go through 120 hours of training in such subjects as inmate frisk searches, cell or dorm shakedowns, proper security measures for an inmate using a medical pass, and knowledge of all evacuation routes in case of emergencies. Sgt. Head makes sure that all of her officers are given the maximum amount of hands-on training to ensure the safety of other officers and the inmates at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility.
 
Six Pillars of Character~ Sponsored by "Character Counts! in Jacksonville;" Police Sergeant Ricky L. Brown, Zone 4
Sgt. Ricky L. Brown won the Six Pillars of Character award because of his dedication to helping children in the community. In July and August of 2007 Sgt. Brown organized or helped to organize four community events that provided more than 1,500 school age children with school supplies. He also used the events as an opportunity to train approximately 450 children on bicycle safety tips, and gave away more than 500 bicycle helmets and 50 bicycles that were either donated by Wal-Mart or purchased with his own funds.

The Six Pillars of Character award is given in partnership with Character Counts! in Jacksonville. Any JSO employee who demonstrates one of the six pillars of character is eligible for this award. Those characteristics are: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring or Citizenship. For more information about the Six Pillars of Character award, please go to www.coj.net/jso and click on the Six Pillars of Character Award link under INITIATIVES.                                                                  

Medal of Merit ~ Sponsored by First Coast Security Services, Inc in partnership with the Justice Coalition; Police Officer Roy A. Fabila, Scott E. Millan, Burton W. Thomas, and Michael T. Wong
Police Officers Fabila, Millan, Thomas and Wong received the Medal of Merit for their heroic actions immediately following the Dec. 6, 2007, Berkman Plaza II parking garage
collapse. A Medal of Merit is awarded to officers who display exceptional meritorious actions in a hazardous situation.  
                                                                  
The four officers were among the first rescuers to reach the industrial accident and provide first aid to the injured workers until the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) arrived on the scene. Then the officers searched the rubble, looking for survivors. Among the unstable, wet and broken concrete, rebar, and splintered lumber, they located approximately 15 people trapped 20 feet from the ground. With the help of ladders provided by JFRD, the officers were able to rescue those workers.

"Although one man died tragically in this accident, I believe that more could have been critically injured or worse had it not been for the quick thinking and courageous actions of these four highly skilled, well-trained police officers," stated Sheriff Rutherford.

Sheriff's Eagle Presentation
Mrs. Ann Dugger, Executive Director, Justice Coalition received an Eagle Award from the Sheriff during the awards ceremony. Mrs. Dugger was honored for her assistance with a local family who had been targeted by Gerald Brown, a ruthless enforcer for local drug dealers. In order to successfully prosecute Brown for his crimes, the family's testimony was needed by the State Attorney's Office. Mrs. Dugger acted as an advocate for the family, helping them to relocate into a secured home and guiding them through the trial process. She even made sure that the family's children had a Christmas tree and presents for the holiday. Because of the family's testimony, Brown was convicted of Armed Burglary and on Feb. 29, 2008, he was sentenced to life in prison.

"I believe that without Ann's help and ongoing support, the family may not have testified, and we might not have gotten a violent criminal off the streets," said Sheriff Rutherford. "The Justice Coalition's partnership is invaluable to us and our fight against crime," he stated during the awards ceremony.

The mission of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is to protect the lives and property of the citizens of this community, to preserve the peace and to prevent crime and disorder while constantly guarding personal liberties as prescribed by law.

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