The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office recognized five employees of the month and presented a Six Pillars of Character Award and one Purple Heart award at the monthly meritorious awards ceremony, held Thursday, May 28, 2009. In addition, three Certificates of Commendation were given to JSO officers, and three citizens were awarded Certificates of Appreciation for assisting the JSO.

"I look forward to telling these stories each month about our employees' service above and beyond the call. It makes all of us at JSO proud to witness the appreciation and respect the community has for our agency and its members, and to recognize citizens and the corporate sponsors who help us out throughout the year, " said Sheriff John Rutherford.

Police Officer of the Month~ Sponsored by Burger King; W. Paul Cullen; Robbery Unit

Detective W. Paul Cullen is the police officer of the month because of his work ethic and the dedication he displayed when solving a series of 12 city-wide business robberies from May 2008 through October 2008.

His persistence, excellent interview skills and dedication to justice allowed him to obtain a confession from the robbery suspect when there was little physical evidence to follow up on, and helped him take a dangerous criminal off the streets.

Corrections Officer of the Month~ Sponsored by Coggin Automotive; Corrections Officer Anthony E. Johnson; Montgomery Correctional Center

Corrections Officer Anthony E. Johnson is a 24-year veteran of the JSO. He received the Corrections Officer of the Month award because he demonstrated two of core values of the Agency: Worthy of Trust and Respect for Each Other that saved a man's life.

At 3 a.m. on Sep. 23, 2008 at the Montgomery Corrections Center, Ofc. Johnson witnessed an inmate having uncontrollable seizures on the morning of his release. Ofc. Johnson stayed with the man and comforted him until rescue arrived. The inmate survived and later thanked Ofc. Johnson for going above and beyond the call of duty and said he believed he would not be alive if it were not for Officer Johnson's quick action and genuine concern for his welfare.  

Civilian Employee of the Month~ Sponsored by Solantic; Bianca D. Conner; Clerical Support Aide III, Secondary Employment Unit

Bianca Conner earned the Civilian Employee of the Month Award for her outstanding commitment to making the Secondary Employment Unit run smoothly and effectively.
 
On December 23, 2008, the server that Conner uses to manage the secondary employment database began malfunctioning. Many officers were unable to log on or off the secondary employment database to record their hours worked during the busy holiday season. Connor came up with a solution to the problem,  quickly advised Officers of the corrective action, made all necessary changes to the records, and ensured that proper compensation and record keeping occurred throughout the event.

Police Supervisor of the Month~ Sponsored by Stein-Mart; Sergeant Steve A. Zona, Robbery Unit

Police Sgt. Steve A. Zona received the Police Supervisor of the Month Award because he is a proven leader in the Robbery Unit. Sgt. Zona is a well respected supervisor who is dedicated to his officers and fighting crime in the community.

In March 2009 a pattern of robberies developed along Beach Blvd leading Sgt. Zona and his team of detectives to conduct surveillance in neighborhoods where they believed the suspects were located. They were able to locate and arrest one of the suspected robbers. Based on information provided by the first suspect, two additional suspects were arrested within a few days. Five cases have been cleared and Sgt. Zona and his detectives continue to investigate the additional cases.

Sgt. Zona also supervises four JSO robbery detectives on the FBI's Criminal Enterprise Task Force, which is dedicated to investigating bank robberies and violations of the Hobbs Act or interruptions of Interstate Commerce. 

Civilian/Corrections Supervisor of the Month~ Sponsored by First Coast Security Services Inc.; Corrections Sergeant Richard J. Bertino, Pre-Trial Detention Facility

Corrections Sergeant Richard J. Bertino is the corrections supervisor of the month because he is dedicated to the safety and security of his fellow corrections officers and the inmates.

Sgt. Bertino supervises the inmates who are charged with serious and often violent felonies. On March 21, 2008 Sgt. Bertino investigated and found an inmate charging a cellular phone in his housing area. Sgt. Bertino's supervision of the investigation prevented an inmate in a high security area from possessing a cell phone, which is strictly prohibited. His investigation of the incident and actions ensured the security of the facility. 

Six Pillars of Character of the Award~ Sponsored by CHARACTER COUNTS! In Jacksonville; Police Lieutenant Michelle Cook

May's Six Pillars of Character recipient is Police Lieutenant Michelle Cook. Lt. Cook received this award because she displayed Caring and Citizenship by organizing JSO members to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis during the MS Mud Run Jacksonville, last February.

Lt. Cook's organized sixteen teams from the JSO to participate in the event, raising more than $10,000 for MS. Lt. Cook's own team raised more than $1,625, the third highest total of all teams competing in the race.
 
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.coj.net/jso and click on the Six Pillars of Character Award link under INITIATIVES.

Certificate of Commendation
Detectives Rodney McKean, Warren Smith, and Gary Stucki - Homicide Cold Case Unit

Detectives McKean, Smith, and Stucki were awarded Certificates of Commendation because of their exemplary work efforts while investigating all police involved shootings from January 2007 to February 2009.

Officer involved investigations can be complex and very high-profile. Detectives who investigate police involved shootings must also use tremendous tact when dealing with the families of the suspects. This is a matter of community trust and is inviolate. These three officers used their extensive experience in evidentiary processing, preservation and crime scene protocol to investigate 50 officer involved shootings.

Certificate of Appreciation
Christopher Lee Roberts

Civilian Christopher Lee Roberts received a Certificate of Appreciation because he played a vital role in saving the life of a crash victim. On the night of Feb. 1 2009 Mr. Roberts was traveling east on Commonwealth Avenue when he witnessed a car, without its lights on, speeding north on Bulls Bay Highway. The driver ran a stop sign and then ran off the road into a ditch. The driver was ejected from his car and landed face first in a water filled ditch. Mr. Roberts immediately went to the crash site to help the victim. By that time officers arrived at the scene and were able to pull the victim out of the ditch. Rescue arrived and took the victim to the hospital for treatment.
 

Certificate of Appreciation
Jenny Huang, Erica Medders

Ms. Jenny Huang and Ms. Erica Medders of Celebration Church are the driving force behind Eugene Butler Middle School's Community Outreach activities.

The church members, with the help of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida and Dr. Sylvia Johnson, principal of Eugene Butler Middle School, developed a mentoring program for 25 students who attended Eugene Butler Middle School during the 2008-2009 school year.

Through the program, Ms. Huang and Ms. Medders helped the JSO organize 100 volunteers from the Celebration Church to continue their improvement efforts in the community.  Volunteers picked up approximately 450 bags of litter and trash, painted and repaired homes, and
Reached out to many families in need of assistance.