The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office recognized six employees of the month and presented two Lifesaving awards at the monthly meritorious awards ceremony held on November 20, 2008.  Four Certificates of Appreciation were given to citizens who assisted the JSO and Sheriff Rutherford was presented with the Commission on Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) Accreditation Certificate.

"I am proud to recognize each recipient for their hard work and dedication to the agency and the City of Jacksonville," said Sheriff Rutherford. "To be surrounded by employees of such high caliber is an honor, and a privilege. This ceremony also gives me an opportunity, each month, to recognize the assistance and partnership of the citizens of Jacksonville."

Police Officer of the Month, sponsored by Burger King
Retired Police Officer Mark E. Gorsage, Canine Unit
On March 27, 2008 recently retired Police Officer Mark Gorsage, and his former police service dog Dutch, were honored for capturing four suspects who had burglarized a home in Mandarin. Further investigation revealed the four suspects had committed five additional burglaries that day in Zone 3.

Corrections Officer of the Month, sponsored by Coggin Automotive
Corrections Officer Mark M. Parrott, Pre-Trial Detention Facility
On March 29, 2008 Corrections Officer Parrott was able to prevent an inmate from posing as another inmate and being released from jail. With the assistance of other officers, C.O. Parrott determined that the inmate was an imposter and not eligible to be released.  The correct inmate was located; both men were re-fingerprinted, and properly identified.  Both were charged with Attempted Escape from Any Prison or Jail.

Civilian Employee of the Month, sponsored by Solantic
W. Frank Bass
Journeyman Plumber W. Frank Bass is assigned to the Montgomery Correctional Center (MCC) and oversees the MCC water supply plant and the facility's plumbing systems. He continually saves the citizens of Jacksonville's tax dollars by working smarter, not just harder. He has also learned the trade of "locksmithing", and routinely uses this knowledge to save the Montgomery Correctional Center money by assisting them as a locksmith.

Reserve Officer of the Month, sponsored by Nimnicht Chevrolet
Reserve Officer Keith Seamann
Reserve Officer Seamann volunteers in the Narcotics Unit where he helps with "Buy Operations" as much as three times a month. He donates over 30 hours a month, as each operation lasts about 10 hours. He is tenacious in carrying out each assignment given to him.

Police Supervisor of the Month, sponsored by Stein-Mart
Sergeant Jerry Stang, Economic Crimes Unit
In February 2008, Sgt. Stang was the organizer and tactical leader in the successful operation "To Catch a Contractor," which targeted unscrupulous and unlicensed contractors. At the end of the operation some contractors were cited for using illegal advertisements and 18 others were arrested for unlicensed contracting. All were issued Cease and Desist Orders and four were taken to jail because of other charges, such as drugs, or failures to appear in court.

Corrections Supervisor of the Month, sponsored by Bealls, Inc
Sergeant Kenneth "Ken" R. Westberry II, Pre-Trial Detention Facility
On February 29, 2008, Sgt. Westberry learned that an inmate housed in the PTDF was planning to escape. Sgt. Westberry and his officers searched the dorm where the inmate was housed, interviewed other inmates and ultimately located and apprehended the potential escapee. The inmate received additional Felony charges for attempted escape and was eventually transported to Florida State Prison where he is now serving an 18- year sentence.

Certificate of Accreditation
Sheriff John H. Rutherford was presented the Commission on Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) Accreditation Certificate. The certificate demonstrates that the JSO meets the standards of the Commission and has proven itself as a law enforcement agency that delivers professional public safety services. The JSO also received two certificates of accreditation, from the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) during the September Awards Ceremony. At this time, the JSO is one of only 37 "triple crown" accredited law enforcement agencies in the country.
(l-r)  Officer David Harvey, Sgt. Suzanne Kirkpatrick, Sheriff John Rutherford, Accreditation AMIO Terica Fullwood, Accreditation AMIO Karen Jeffery, and Accreditation AMIO Brandon Reagor.

Certificate of Appreciation
Brad L. Barnett
On June 19, 2008, a young woman was robbed, abducted, and sexually assaulted by an individual in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Beach Blvd. The suspect abducted the victim from the parking lot and drove down Hodges Blvd at a high rate of speed and eventually crashed the vehicle. Mr. Barnett saw the crash and pulled over to assist the driver and passenger. When Mr. Barnett approached the crashed vehicle, the victim told him she had been attacked and needed help.  Mr. Barnett tried to stop the suspect from fleeing the scene.  The suspect threatened him with a knife. Mr. Barnett retrieved a hammer from his vehicle to use as protection and successfully detained the suspect until the police arrived to arrest him.

Brad L. Barnett (third from left), with family and friends, poses with Sheriff Rutherford following the Nov. 20 Awards Ceremony.

Lifesaving Award
Police Officer Michael Taylor (left), Zone 1
On June 7, 2008, Officer Michael Taylor responded to a traffic crash with injuries at the intersection of Ocean Street and Adams Street. The victim's vehicle left the road, traveled onto the sidewalk and ran over several parking meters before coming to a halt. Officer Taylor arrived at the scene and found the diver unconscious and trapped inside the vehicle. He pulled the victim out of the car and, after assessing the man, immediately performed CPR compressions. He continued to provide CPR until relieved by members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. The man was stabilized and transported to an area hospital.

Lifesaving Award
Corrections Officer David M. Mireles (right), Pre-Trial Detention Facility
On April 14, 2008, Officer Mireles' neighbor was watching his daughter pressure wash another neighbor's driveway. When the daughter left the area, the man began pressure washing the driveway and was later found unconscious and lying face down on the ground. Two other residents in the neighborhood found the body and called for help. One resident called Rescue and the other went to Officer Mireles' home. Officer Mireles assessed the situation and began CPR on his neighbor and friend. He continued until JFRD arrived. Due to Officer Mireles' quick actions and training, his neighbor's life was saved.

Certificate of Appreciation
Johnny Pride
On August 9 two armed suspects robbed the Days Inn Hotel on Cagle Road in Zone 3 (Southside area.)  Mr. Pride was working as a security guard at the hotel across the street and witnessed the suspects robbing the hotel clerk and fleeing the scene. He immediately called 911 and informed the communications officer that he was following the suspects from the scene. He gave Dispatch a description, tag number and current location of the getaway car. The robbery suspects were stopped and taken into custody.