The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office recognized the six employees of the month and presented four Lifesaving Awards and one Six Pillars of Character award during the monthly Sheriff’s Meritorious Awards Ceremony on May 29, 2008.  A Certificate of Appreciation was also given to a citizen for 22 years of volunteer service to the inmates at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility (PTDF) working on their reading and literacy skills.  

“Each of these employees was recognized for the hard work they do to enforce the law and preserve the safety of our citizens. I value the opportunity to publicly thank them for going above and beyond the call of duty at our awards ceremony,” said Sheriff John H. Rutherford.

Police Officer of the Month ~ sponsored by Burger King; Police Officer Clayton R. Short, Zone 3  
Police Officer Clayton R. Short won because he makes the “tough catches” and arrested four individuals in two separate incidents in Oct. of 2007 while working in Zone 3.  He was instrumental in capturing three robbery suspects who were breaking into cars at the Plantation Apartments and the Williamsburg Apartments. Police Ofc. Clayton was also responsible for the capture of a carjacking suspect who had stolen a mini van and threatened bodily harm to a citizen at a local trailer park in Zone 3, on Jacksonville’s Southside. 

Corrections Officer of the Month~ Sponsored by Coggin Automotive; Corrections Officer Jeffery D. Pekks, Montgomery Corrections Center
May’s Corrections Officer of the Month is Jeffery D. Pekks was recognized for his leadership as the C-Wing senior officer at the Montgomery Correctional Center (MCC).  He makes sure that the kitchen, dining room, segregation cells, hallway and floors are hosed down and scrubbed.  He is dedicated to the safety of the officers and the inmates in his care and demonstrated this by making improvements to the facilities and investigating hazardous situations as they arose.  Pekks has recently been reassigned to the North Compound, at the MCC, as the medical clinic officer. 

Civilian Employee of the Month~ Sponsored by Solantic; Clerical Support Aide III Rebecca R. Viets, Alarms Unit 
Becky R. Viets is May’s Civilian of the Month because she is dedicated to delivering the best possible results for the Alarms Unit and the agency.  She inputs alarm citation data into the False Alarm Tracking System and ensures that residents, businesses, and alarm companies maintain compliance with Jacksonville Municipal Code Chapter 168, which regulates burglary and robbery alarm systems.  She also provides accounting services for the funds received from false alarm violations and other corresponding civil fines.  This includes the monthly billing of all violators and encouraging delinquent violators to pay their fines. 

 
Reserve Officer of the Month ~ Sponsored by Nimnicht Chevrolet; William J. Hartley
Reserve Officer William Hartley is May’s Reserve Officer of the Month because his outstanding results demonstrate his commitment to the citizens of Jacksonville and the JSO.  As the second highest ranking reserve officer and a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, Reserve Lt. Hartley is responsible for much of the behind the scenes operations of the Reserve Officer Program.  He oversees the reserve sergeants and officers, and managed the Reserve Officer ROMEO program. The Romeo program used reservists to work in tandem with Police Officers in the community, acting as backup at incidents and providing prisoner transport to the Pre-Trial Detention Facility.  Reserve Lt. Hartley has not only taken on the roll of a reserve officer, but a leadership role that demands a great deal of his time and attention. And he does this for no other reason than because he wants to serve his community.

Police Supervisor of the Month ~Sponsored by Stein-Mart; Sergeant James A. Pendley 
May’s Police Supervisor of the Month is Sergeant James A. Pendley.  He received this honor because day in and day out he gets the best results from his officers in his squad, Watch 5, and the Zone 6 Patrol Task Force.  In August 2007 and in March 2008 he organized a Litter Initiative in Zone 6.  He focuses on businesses that deal with excessive graffiti, trash, and tires on their property.  Sgt. Pendley instructs his officers to educate the business owners about Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
Between Nov. 29 and Dec. 01 2007, Sgt. Pendley’s officers made 30 felony arrests; seized three vehicles, two firearms, and more than 250 grams of cocaine.  He is seen as a mentor for less experienced police officers, and can be found teaching new officers how to conduct proper photo lineups and how to manage on-going investigations.

Corrections/Civilian Supervisor of the Month ~ Sponsored by Bealls Inc; Civilian Supervisor of the Month Moliea J. Smith
Sergeant Moliea Smith works in the Identification Unit and is our Civilian Supervisor of the Month because her diligence resulted in the proper identification of three suspects in three separate incidents.  Fingerprint identifications revealed that three subjects who were arrested as juveniles were actually over the age of 18. In all three cases the arresting officer was no longer on duty when the suspect’s true identity was discovered.  When Sgt. Smith contacted the Juvenile Assessment Center, she learned that the suspects had either been released or issued a Notice to Appear in lieu of a physical arrest. She worked diligently on all three cases to contact the off-duty arresting officers and new warrants were issued in the names and ages of the correct individuals.
 
Six Pillars of Character~ Sponsored by “Character Counts! in Jacksonville”; Police Lieutenant John T. Lamb
Police Lieutenant John T. Lamb is the recipient of the Six Pillars of Character Award because of his compassion and caring for others.  He is the type of person who always helps individuals in need.  For example, recently he was on vacation with his family in the North Carolina Mountains.  The Lamb family, along with two other families, were driving to a favored hiking ground when they passed a car pulled over to the side of the road.  The car could not be fixed and Lt. Lamb told the other two families to go ahead to the hiking grounds, and offered to take the driver thirty minutes back into town to get assistance.  Lt. Lamb is an active parishioner of Blessed Trinity Catholic, located on Beach Blvd, and is always willing to assist in traffic control after church services to ensure the safety of the people exciting the church driveway and the drivers already on the road. 
 

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.                                                                  

Civilian Certificate of Appreciation
Albert J. Hoehn
Mr. Hoehn received a Certificate of Appreciation for his outstanding volunteer services.  He volunteers at the Pre Trial Detention Facility with Jacksonville’s Literacy Pros, a non-profit organization that teaches inmates to help other inmates learn to read.  Mr. Hoehn has been volunteering in this program since 1986, when he started as a Literacy Tutor.  In 1993 he became a certified tutor/trainer, and since 2003, Mr. Hoehn, has been facilitating workshops teaching high functioning, educated inmates how to tutor illiterate or low literacy inmates. 

Lifesaving Award I
Police Officers Paul D. Aldridge, Pete C. Goody, and Robert M. Winslow, Community Affairs Division, Marine Unit
Officers Aldridge, Goody, and Winslow received the Lifesaving Award for their excellent police work during the rescue of David Miller on February 6, 2008.  They were on a routine patrol near the Jacksonville Naval Air Station.  At about 12 p.m. they responded to a boating incident on the St. John’s River near the Fuller Warren Bridge. When the officers arrived at the scene, they found an unattended fishing vessel floating against the sea wall at Memorial Park.  The officers immediately searched the area and found the Captain, David Miller, clinging to a floating buoy, about one-half mile away form his boat.  Officers Aldridge, Goody, and Winslow pulled Mr. Miller from the 60 degree water and provided first aide by preventing hypothermia from setting in while they rapidly transported him and his sinking vessel to shore. 

Lifesaving Award II
Police Officer John P. Hysler
Police Officer John P. Hysler, Zone 4, received the Lifesaving Award for his quick action in the response to a “Person Cut” call on Owen Street.  He and Officer Avinger were on the scene in less than two minutes. Police Ofc. Avinger began looking for the suspect and Ofc. Hysler went to assess the victim that was lying on the street with a knife protruding from his neck. Police Ofc. Hysler used a towel to apply direct pressure on the wound and kept the man stable until Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Department could arrive at the scene.

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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