On July 31, 2008 the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office recognized the six employees of the month and presented a Six Pillars of Character Award and a Lifesaving Award.  Three Certificates of Appreciation were given out to citizens who assisted the Jacksonville Sheriff's during recent events.

"These monthly award ceremonies give me the opportunity to thank not only our officers here at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office for their hard work but also the citizens that take action in helping this agency meet its mission, " said Sheriff John Rutherford.

Police Officer of the Month ~ sponsored by Burger King; Police Officer Adam R. Boyd, Zone 3
Police Officer Adam R. Boyd is July's Police Officer of the Month because he produced excellent results for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office while he served in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Unit.  On December 18, 2007 Officer Boyd stopped a vehicle for Illegal Window Tint.  The suspect tried to flee the scene, was apprehended and a search of the vehicle revealed 90 grams of cocaine and trace amounts of marijuana.  The suspect agreed to participate in a "controlled delivery" of drugs from the supplier.  On December 19, the "supplier" drove from Orlando to Jacksonville to deliver a large quantity of drugs to 2943 Spring Park Road.  When he arrived, Ofc. Boyd, the Crime Free Multi-Housing Unit members, and members of the JSO Narcotics Unit were waiting on him.  The suspect was apprehended without incident and found to be in possession of 1,500 grams of cocaine powder, a loaded 45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and $1,200 in U.S. currency.  He was arrested for Armed Trafficking in Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

Corrections Officer of the Month ~ Sponsored by Coffin Automotive; Corrections Officer Nikki L. Logan, Montgomery Correctional Center
Corrections Officer Nikki Logan is July's Corrections Officer of the Month because of her admirable investigative skills and dedication to keeping the Montgomery Correctional Center Safe for the employees and inmates.  In June of 2007, C.O. Logan helped to uncover a food service employee that was having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate.  The investigation resulted in the termination of the employee.  Since 2004, C.O. Logan has conducted more than 57 investigations, which have resulted in 12 cases of crew supervisors losing their supervisory privileges, two supervisors were terminated, a civilian was arrested, and a host agency lost the privilege of utilizing the services of our inmates for work.

Civilian Employee of the Month ~ Sponsored by Solantic; Administrative Aide Kimberly D. Keen, Human Resources
July's Civilian of the Month went to Kimberly D. Keen because she was an invaluable resource during the time that the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Employee Information System (EIS) was being developed and implemented.  EIS is a state of the art, decentralized time and attendance tracking system that records daily attendance, over time, leave and premium pays for approximately 2,900 salaried employees in compliance with nine different labor agreements.  Keen went to all of the Zone Substations, Montgomery Correctional Center, Community Transition Center, and the Pre-Trial Detention Facility to train employees and troubleshoot any problems that occurred.

Reserve Officer of the Month ~ Sponsored by Nimnicht Chevrolet; Timothy R. Hinson
Reserve Officer Timothy R. Hinson is July's Reserve Officer of the Month because of the exceptional way that he responded to an incident while assisting a police officer on November 9, 2007.  Reserve Ofc. Hinson and his partner Reserve Ofc. Brian Bryant were able to safely deliver, to the Pre Trial Detention Facility, a very aggressive and violent individual that repeatedly tried to break free of his restraints and escape from custody.

Police Supervisor of the Month ~ Sponsored by Stein-Mart; Sergeant Angela L. Tompkins, Zone 4
Police Sergeant Angela L. Tompkins is the Police Supervisor of the Month because her actions brought credit to herself and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office while working in Zone 4.  On January 5, 2008, Sgt. Tompkins volunteered to assist on a Domestic Battery call.  The suspect was fleeing the neighborhood when Sgt. Tompkins saw a car that matched the description of the suspect's and stopped him.  After stopping the car Sgt. Tompkins noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from the suspect's vehicle.  She detained the driver and called for backup. The car revealed marijuana and cocaine, $16,811 is U.S. currency, a loaded assault rifle, digital camera, and other drug paraphernalia.  The driver was arrested and chard with Armed Possession of Illegal Drugs, Domestic Violence, and Felony Possession of Controlled Substance while in physical control of a vehicle.

Civilian Supervisor of the Month ~ Sponsored by Bealls, Inc.; Sergeant Sylvia L. Hutchinson, Central Records/Data Input
July's Civilian Supervisor of the Month is Sergeant Sylvia L. Hutchinson because of the strong leadership she displayed last fall when the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office transitioned all of our criminal registration data from the obsolete City Mainframe to the JSO's Data Warehouse.  The transition changed the processes and procedures of the Data Input Unit and Sgt. Hutchinson led her staff through every change, step by step.

Six Pillars of Character ~ Sponsored by "Character Counts! In Jacksonville"; Detective Steve A. Zona, Robbery Unit
Detective Steve A. Zona won the Six Pillars of Character award because he displayed Caring and Respect for fellow employee, Detective D. W. Blankinchip and his family.  Det. Blankinchip's daughter underwent many medical procedures throughout 2006 and 2007 and Sgt Zona checked up on her and her family numerous times.  He also encouraged Det. Blankinchip to take the time he needed to care for his child and family. 

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
Mr. Fred Kowkabany, Rodney and Susan Ivey, and Mr. Gary Silcox
Mr. Kowkabany is a retired General Manager from Prudential Insurance Company and now uses his expertise to teach inmates at the Community Transition Center.  He helps the incarcerated with guidance in budget planning so that they are better prepared to succeed in society when they are released from jail.

Rodney and Susan Ivey assisted in the finding of a young girl that was lost and screaming for help, after Susan heard the cries she called for assistance from her neighbor, Police Sergeant Paul Restivo. The girl was found in a wooded preserve with some scrapes and covered in mud, but otherwise unharmed.  Mr. Ivey then went with the young girl to her home and waited for her stepmother and an on-duty police officer to arrive.  The child had been home alone, and the stepmother was not expected to return home until 8:30 p.m.   If it were not for their efforts she could have been lost in the preserve that was filled with water, deep mud, snakes and alligators till after dark. Temperatures that evening dropped to 43 degrees.

Mr. Gary Silcox helped in the apprehension of a suspect that had run two stops signs and a red light, before fleeing the car on foot.  Mr. Silcox called 9-1-1 telling police of the exact location of the suspect, allowing the responding officers to take the suspect into custody.  It was later learned that the car the suspect was driving had been stolen.

Lifesaving Award
Police Officer Chester R. Bear, Zone 6
Police Officer Chester R. Bear received the Lifesaving Award for his quick action after his response to an alarm call at 11050 Harts Road, Forest Lake Apartments.  After completing the Alarm Citation, he noticed a women running toward him carrying a small child and frantically screaming for help.  The child was not breathing so Ofc. Bear quickly assessed the situation and immediately began administering aid.  After the third or fourth strike, the child coughed and a small rock fell out of his mouth.  Ofc. Bear then called the Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Department as a safety precaution and treated both the woman, who had fainted during the episode, and the young boy.

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.

###