Friday, October 30, 2009 Jacksonville, Fla.    

Click here to view video of ceremony

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) recognized six employees of the month at its monthly meritorious awards ceremony Thursday. A Six Pillars of Character award, individual Certificates of Commendation and Appreciation, and one Lifesaving award were presented by Undersheriff Frank Mackesy on behalf of Sheriff Rutherford. 

 "On behalf of Sheriff Rutherford, I am honored to present these awards for outstanding performance by our employees and law enforcement partners," said Undersheriff Mackesy.
 
Police Officer of the Month~ Sponsored by Burger King; Detective C. Bradley Shivers. Robbery Unit
Detective C. Bradley Shivers is October's recipient because he solved a series of 18 robberies that occurred in the Southside of Jacksonville. Det. Shivers planned the stakeout in which one suspect was captured. Detective Shivers interviewed the suspect and was able to determine the identity of the second suspect and arrested him as well. In addition, the gun used to commit the crimes was recovered. 

Corrections Officer of the Month~ Sponsored by Coggin Automotive; Corrections Officer Dana Osborne, Pre-Trial Detention Facility
 Corrections Ofc. Dana Osborne is a resourceful officer with excellent problem solving skills. On March 24, 2009, she transported an inmate to Shands Hospital for medical treatment. When they arrived at the hospital, she realized the transport van's back door was jammed shut and the ill inmate was trapped inside. C. O. Osborne used a steel rod to reach inside the van, release the lock, and free the ill inmate.
 
Civilian Employee of the Month~ Sponsored by Solantic; Police Emergency Communications Officer (PECO) Mike Goodbread
PECO Mike Goodbread is October's Civilian Employee of the Month because of the excellent results he provided while teaching the students in the Police Emergency Communications training program.  From June 2006 to January 2009 Goodbread trained 56 PECO's.  During that time, he acted as an  instructor and mentor to the students.  Goodbread left the training program in January 2009, but can still be counted on to train the PECO's when needed.

Reserve Officer/Volunteer of the Month~ Sponsored by Nimnicht Chevrolet; Reserve Officer Tim Trent  
Reserve Officer Trent is the Reserve Officer of the Month because he volunteers between 30 and 40 hours a month serving the citizens of Jacksonville. Reserve Officer Trent acts as a force multiplier and rides patrol primarily in the Southside and Arlington areas of town. He also assists with events in the downtown at the sports complex.
 

Police Supervisor of the Month~ Sponsored by Stein-Mart; Police Lieutenant Shawn McCormick, Zone 6
Police Lt. Shawn McCormick is October's Police Supervisor of the Month because of the leadership he displayed as a Police Sergeant in Zone 3. On May 2, 2009, then Sergeant    McCormick, learned that a murder suspect would be traveling from Georgia to Jacksonville. He developed and implemented a plan to apprehend the suspect. The felony takedown and subsequent arrest was preformed smoothly by his squad, the JSO K-9 Unit, and Air Unit, in partnership with the Waycross, Georgia Police Department.

Civilian/Corrections Supervisor of the Month~ Sponsored by First Coast Security Services Inc.; Corrections Sergeant Michael N. Smith, Pre-Trial Detention Facility
Corrections Sgt. Smith was honored for resolving issues that arose with the inmate work crews tasked with preparing for the approach of Tropical Storm Fay in August of 2008. The work crews were responsible for preparing streets and highways prior to the storm and for cleaning up storm debris, immediately following the storm passing over Jacksonville. As a result of Sgt. Smith's excellent leadership the necessary work during the emergency conditions was completed for the community.

Sgt. Smith was also instrumental in preparing for a mock American Correctional Association (ACA) on-site inspection, held in January of 2008, and the "Official" onsite accreditation inspection in April of the same year.

Six Pillars of Character of the Award~ Sponsored by CHARACTER COUNTS! In Jacksonville; Police Officer Michael Duckworth, Zone 4
Police Officer Duckworth received the Six Pillars of Character award for assisting an elderly woman remove an unwanted house guest from her home. In doing so, he also helped her reconnect with her family in Austria.

His actions facilitated her visiting her family for the first time in many years. Ofc. Duckworth helped her prepare for the visit by paying for a trip to have her hair styled.  He also bought groceries for her as needed and took her to the airport during his off-duty time.

Now that she has returned from her trip, he continues to help her on an as needed basis.

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, or to nominate someone, please go to www.jaxsheriff.org and click on the Six Pillars of Character Award link under INITIATIVES.

Certificate of Commendation~ Police Officer Leland R. Hackney, Aviation Unit
Police Officer Leland R. Hackney received a Certificate of Commendation for his assistance in locating a missing Baker County resident in January of 2009. The 69-year-old Alzheimer's patient, who also had diabetes, had not been seen since leaving his home several days before. Ofc. Hackney and Officer Matt Sapyta, City of Delray Beach Police Department, responded to Baker County to look for the man. The officers flew 'search grids' radiating away from his residence. Later in the day, they spotted the man partially hidden underneath his white van in a heavily wooded area 12 miles from the victim's home.

Baker County Sheriff's Office deputies and rescue personnel were directed to the man's location. The man was found in relatively good condition, considering the length of time he had been missing, and the weather conditions.

Certificate of Appreciation~ Mr. C. Pierre Orantes
For the past two years, Mr. Orantes has been a vital asset to the JSO by helping to organize and promote the Zone 2 Annual ShAdCo Safety Fair held at the Regency Square Mall. Mr. Orantes owns "Driven to Win" High Powered Promotions and generously shares his knowledge of promoting events with the safety fair planning committee. He obtained sponsorships for the tents used during the safety fair (including labor to set them up and take them down).  He helped design the flyer, and located a sponsor to print it as well.  Mr. Orantes also provided resources such as labor, trash cans, tables and chairs.

Lifesaving Award~ Corrections Officer Joe P. Smith, Pre-Trial Detention Facility
On July 5, 2009, Corrections Ofc. Smith saved the life of an inmate who had attempted to commit suicide.  The inmate had slit his wrists and was bleeding profusely when Ofc. Smith found him. He tried to fight Ofc. Smith when he attempted to apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. Ofc. Smith called for help and stayed with the inmate, calming him, until he was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. The responding medical staff stated that the inmate suffered severe arterial bleeding, with extensive blood loss, and major trauma to his fore arm.

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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