May 3, 2005
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SHERIFF JOHNSON NAMES NEW LIEUTENANT 

A 19-year law enforcement veteran, Jim Melady had a single bar pinned on his crisp, green uniform Tuesday, becoming the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office’s newest lieutenant. “It’s something that’s well-deserved. You’ve earned it,” Sheriff Ben Johnson told Melady during a promotion ceremony in Daytona Beach. “You’ve been a great employee.” 

The 39-year-old Melady joined the Sheriff’s Office in February 1986. He spent the last 12 years in investigations after stints earlier in his career in road patrol and court security. Melady spent the last five years supervising the Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which is an elite group of highly-seasoned deputies that investigates drug trafficking and organized crime. Last year, SIU merged with a newly-established, multi-agency Volusia Bureau of Investigation to expand enforcement efforts targeting mid- and upper-level narcotics traffickers. Melady has supervised the VBI since its inception. 

A native of Philadelphia, Melady will remain in the Sheriff’s Office’s Law Enforcement Services Division. His new assignment will be serving as assistant commander of the agency’s District 2 headquarters in DeLand. “I look forward to many more good years from you,” added Sheriff Johnson. 

Melady is married and has two children.