SHERIFF’S
OFFICE EMPLOYEES OF THE QUARTER HONORED
Dedication
to serving the county’s citizens is the theme connecting the
Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Employees of the 1st Quarter
2009 winners. There is a high level of professionalism and
expertise exhibited by the five deputies and civilians honored
by Sheriff Ben Johnson during a ceremony at the Deputy Stephen
Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach Tuesday morning. Awards
were presented to a patrol deputy, an auto theft investigator,
an office assistant, a telecommunicator, and a firearms range
volunteer.
Criminals in the
Pierson area don’t stand a chance when deputy of the quarter
Todd Smith is on duty. Not only is his supervisor impressed with
the deputy’s crime solving tenacity, but so are the local
residents. Smith eagerly takes the initiative in all cases no
matter how big or small, and he’s earned the residents’ respect
and gratitude as a result. This patrol deputy worked alongside
investigators to help solve 11 cases in short order primarily
due to old fashioned footwork and a tireless devotion to the
job. Approximately once a month an area in Pierson was hit with
a rash of vandalisms. Smith tracked down the suspects and
obtained confessions, clearing several cases. In a separate
instance, Smith investigated a residential burglary and had the
suspects identified, charged and the victim’s property returned
in under four hours. The community knows that Smith will always
do his best to solve whatever problem that comes up.
The burglary
victim wrote a thank you letter to Sheriff Johnson, saying: “I
don’t know where you found Deputy Smith, but please go back and
get 20 more just like him. He is the perfect example of
professionalism.”
Investigator Todd
Blair has developed a solid reputation as an expert in auto
theft investigations not just in Volusia County but countrywide,
which has now earned him the additional distinction of
investigator of the quarter. Blair has worked in the Sheriff’s
Office’s auto theft unit for 11 years and is in charge of the
motorcycle anti-theft task force during all of the motorcycle
special events in the area. Blair’s experience, professionalism
and superb attention to detail are key ingredients in the
successful reduction of motorcycle thefts. Blair is so well
respected in the auto theft investigation community that he is
currently the vice president of the Florida Auto Theft
Intelligence Unit, immediate past-president of the Southeast
International Association of Auto Theft Investigators and an
executive board member of the International Association of Auto
Theft Investigators.
“Todd is well
known throughout the state and the entire southeast for his work
and his skills,” said Sheriff Johnson.
Work in the
Sheriff’s Office’s sex crimes unit can be taxing due to the
nature of the crimes investigated there, but employee of the
quarter Annette Cazella maintains a high degree of
professionalism, dedication and creativity. Those traits make
the job easier for everyone in the unit. Cazella creates case
files for each new investigation, which gives the assigned
investigators a valuable head start. The tasks Cazella is
sometimes faced with can be daunting, such as in a case
involving an alleged sexual battery of a teenage victim that
produced more than 200 suspects. Cazella assembled photo lineups
and background information on each person, which was time
consuming and tedious work. Her creativity was on display during
another case that was complicated due to the multiple victims
and the suspect all being related to one another. Cazella
untangled the relations through the creation of a visual family
tree. The family tree was invaluable not only during the
investigation but also during the prosecution phase.
“Annette is a
great asset to the sex crimes unit and our job would be even
harder without her,” said sergeant Cynthia Gambrell, Cazella’s
supervisor.
Telecommunicator
of the quarter honors went to assistant supervisor Teddy
Griffin, who was singled out for his leadership, mentoring
skills and ability to foster teamwork. These characteristics
were put to the test recently when Griffin had to take on the
responsibilities of shift supervisor along with his own
assistant supervisor tasks. Griffin is known for his superior
work ethic and he’s an example for others to follow.
“I’m very proud
of you,” said Sheriff Johnson. “You’ve done a great job.”
Volunteer of the
quarter Lee Britton started his work with the Sheriff’s Office
cleaning weapons for the annual inspection, and has since become
an invaluable part of the firearms range team. Britton attended
various armorer’s courses over the past few years, becoming
proficient in inspecting weapons and troubleshooting. Griffin
assists during retired officers’ shoots, deputy refresher shoots
and civilian firearms classes. His volunteer time saves the
Sheriff’s Office the expense of bringing in another range
officer.
“Lee is a hard
worker and takes pride in his work,” said range master Robert
Applegate. “His enthusiasm is infectious, and he is a joy to
work with.”
