September 5, 2006
Brandon Haught
Public Information Office

SHERIFF'S OFFICE HONORS EMPLOYEES OF THE QUARTER 

There's a common theme connecting all the recipients of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office's employees of the 2nd quarter awards: devotion to the job, even if it means sacrifice, long hours or danger. There's a sense of security in knowing that employees like these men and women aren't focused on timecards, but rather on getting the job done, no matter what it takes. The awards were presented to a K-9 deputy, an investigator, a telecommunicator and an agency volunteer at the Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach Tuesday morning.

"There's a lot of competition for these awards," said Sheriff Ben Johnson. "It really takes something special to earn them, and all of today's honorees have done a great job to earn this recognition."

Deputy Michael Webb is a man most any deputy would be happy to share a shift with because he and his K-9 Ike are always on hand, responding to calls and helping out even when he hasn't been called upon. Webb took deputy of the quarter honors for his willingness to be there for any of his fellow law enforcement officers, regardless of agency. This has led to his having more K-9 apprehensions than any other K-9 team during the quarter. Additionally, Webb trains at least three K-9 classes a year totaling more than 30 weeks for which he doesn't get extra monetary compensation. Webb's supervisor, Deputy Hal Lee, noted that Webb sometimes even loses opportunities for overtime pay due to adjusting his schedule to accommodate the training.

The Sheriff's Office's only Technical Information Officer, Investigator George Robertson, rarely sees his name on the paperwork of high profile arrests or drug seizures while working with the Volusia Bureau of Investigation. But without Robertson's expertise and willingness to take on risky assignments, many of those arrests and seizures might not have happened. Robertson draws upon a deep well of knowledge gained from cutting edge training courses and seminars to keep drug task force investigators from multiple agencies several steps ahead of the criminals. Robertson knows the current trends and methods drug dealers use for communications and counter surveillance. His own technical knowledge enables him to create amazing surveillance devices and secure them in public places during the day or late at night without any of the criminals catching on.

Maintenance technician Kenny Wilson has earned a reputation for repairing, inventing, improving, welding, painting and building anything the Sheriff's Office needs to make equipment, facilities or vehicles better or more efficient. Wilson's skill and willingness were invaluable during the aviation section's recent move to a new facility. He oversaw the transportation and installation of countless needed components and overcame every obstacle he encountered. Sgt. Joseph Bryant, from Special Services, said in his award nomination, "Kenny is an independent thinker and problem solver beyond conventional wisdom and is more deserving than the words and events outlined here can describe." Additionally, he received praise from West Volusia PAL for assembling a boxing ring and equipment racks.

Carlos Medina took telecommunicator of the quarter honors for his notably positive attitude and willingness to take on any task any time he's needed. His bilingual skills are coupled with his considerate nature towards everyone he deals with, making him an invaluable asset to the communications center. Medina is always willing to help out his fellow telecommunicators, whether it's helping them with a difficult call or adjusting his work schedule to fit others' needs.

Volunteer of the quarter, Sheila Horne, was recognized for always being there when the Sheriff's Office needs her. Horne is the Citizen Observer Program director for District 5 and has volunteered more than 339 hours during the quarter. C.O.P. volunteers patrol neighborhoods to deter crime and act as an extra set of eyes and ears for the law enforcement community. She keeps track of 34 C.O.P.s, the maintenance of two vehicles, scheduling patrols and a lot of other administrative duties. Even with so many responsibilities, she devoted yet more time and effort to create a C.O.P. Honor Guard that will represent the agency when a C.O.P. member passes away and at community functions. C.O.P. Coordinator Assistant Shirley Genander said in her nomination of Horne, "Her motivation and dedication to this unit has rubbed off and the other members of this Honor Guard have taken great pride in the agency."