Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office


2007 EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR

Sheriff Charlie Morris initiated yearly, quarterly and monthly awards for outstanding employees when he took office in 1997. Employees are recognized for their outstanding performance monthly, quarterly and yearly. Sheriff Morris is a firm believer in employee recognition. The 2007 Employees of the Year are Deputy Sheriff Matt Abbott and Crime Prevention Specialist Ashley Bailey.

Deputy Sheriff Matt Abbott has been selected by the supervisory staff as the 2007 Sworn Employee of the Year.  The Sworn Employee of the Year is chosen for his exceptional performance and contribution to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Abbott started with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in February, 2006, and is assigned to the Field Services Division.  Matt grew up drawn to law enforcement having a father in the profession.  He obtained his BA Degree in Criminal Justice and quickly went to work.  He served three years as a Communication’s Officer with the Fort Walton Beach Police Department and joined the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Posse as soon as he was eligible.  Obtaining a sworn position with our agency was a goal achieved, but he obviously does not intend to slow down.

Deputy Abbott is extremely motivated and competent, especially when considering his tenure.  He exercises sound judgment and is always looking for something to do.  He has consistently performed far above average when compared to other deputies.  Consequently, he has been nominated twice for Deputy of the Quarter.  In addition, he has received the Life Saving Award and the Medal of Merit this year for separate incidents worthy of such recognition.

Deputy Abbott has shown the highest level of activity on his shift in several key areas throughout the year.  He handles more calls, arrests more suspects, and self generates the most activity on a continual basis.  The average number of calls handled by a south patrol deputy this year was about 1,150 per unit.  Deputy Abbott’s calls for the year totaled 2,522, well over twice the average.  The average number of probable cause arrests by a south patrol deputy was about 31 per unit.  Matt had more than three times the average with 110, more than any other Patrol Deputy.  If you include his 62 warrant services, Matt rounded up 172 suspects and wanted persons this year.  Due to his proficiency and efficiency, he managed to demonstrate this unmatched productivity in these and other areas without neglecting his reporting or case management.

Deputy Abbott’s motivation and enthusiasm for the job is contagious and has spread among his peers.  His success has not caused him to be arrogant or complacent.   He has attended at least five advanced and specialized training courses this year and is always seeking ways to improve his already noteworthy performance.  Deputy Abbott’s drive and energy come from his desire to make a difference in the community rather than attain notoriety or personal recognition.   Deputy Abbott will continue to set the standard and raise the bar for performance and productivity levels.

           We are proud to present Deputy Sheriff Matt Abbott as the 2007 Sworn Employee of the Year and thank him for his exemplary performance.  Please offer your congratulations to Deputy Morgan for his commendable achievement. 

Ashley Bailey  has been selected by the supervisory staff as the 2007 Non Sworn Employee of the Year.  The Non Sworn Employee of the Year is chosen for her exceptional performance and contribution to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Ashley started her career with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in November, 2004, and is one of our Crime Prevention Officers.  Ashley strives for perfection and is very driven to serve the community to the best of her ability.  Here are a few of her accomplishments for 2007:

·        Ashley worked with the Information Technology Department to implement the “Take Me Home” Program.  She scheduled time at schools, churches, and other locations in order to take current photographs and obtain necessary information on citizens in Okaloosa County who meet the requirements of this program.  This program is for both adults and children with disabilities that may render them incapable of telling law enforcement where they reside.

·        Ashley implemented CASE – Communities Against Senior Exploitation.  This program addresses Identity Theft, Telemarketing Fraud, Mail & Internet Fraud, Home Improvement Fraud, Investment Fraud, Caregiver Explotation, and Predatory Lending Scams.  Ashley has given many seminars on this program to the community.

·        Ashley also implemented the “Seniors Helping Seniors” program with tenacity and commitment.  This program was well received in the north end of Okaloosa County.

·        Ashley continued her involvement in “Teen Court” and has taken several students under her wing.  These students are now doing well in school and have a more directed purpose because of her efforts.

·        Ashley took on a “mentoring” roll in order to help high school seniors achieve community service hours for their college applications.

·        Ashley reviewed several telecommunication programs that check on the status of the elderly or disabled daily.  She recently recommended that the Sheriff’s Office use the CARE Program.  This program is set for implementation by the end of January, 2008.

·        Ashley also reviewed programs that other entities in our county could use, such as Communities for a Lifetime.  While this was not a project she could take on, it was one that she recommended to the Board of County Commissioners to review to assist with making our county a safer place to live, work, and play.

          Ashley constantly demonstrates her willingness to serve the citizens of Okaloosa County.  She has continued to assist deputies with their concerns by providing training at shift briefings.  She also assists the school resource officers with presentations on such topics as bullying, internet safety for parents and children, and safety tips keeping children from being abducted. 

          Ashley Bailey will be presented with an award commemorating her selection.  We are proud to present Ashley as the 2007 Non Sworn Employee of the Year and thank her for her exemplary performance.  Please offer your congratulations to Ashley Bailey for her commendable achievement.  

2007 SWORN EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP

Deputy Sheriff Shannon Tait has been selected by the supervisory staff as the 2007 Sworn Employee of the Year Runner-Up.  The Runner-Up Sworn Employee of the Year is chosen for her exceptional performance and contribution to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Tait started her career with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in April, 2005, and is assigned to Charlie Shift in the Field Services Division.   In the short time since completing her field training, she rapidly attained the skills of a seasoned law enforcement officer.  In December, Deputy Tait was selected to be a member of the Problem Oriented Policing Unit (POP Squad).   Shannon is driven to do everything in her ability to serve the community.  She strives for perfection and demonstrates the best traits of professionalism in all that she does.

During 2007, Deputy Tait served the community in the Wright neighborhood known as Zone 15, which is one of the busiest areas in the county.  This area presents daily challenges to which Deputy Tait always gives her very best.  This past year, Shannon investigated almost 1500 incidents.  She generated approximately 184 offense reports with close to 60 of those cases being closed by arrest.  In October, Shannon developed leads during the course of a burglary investigation which lead to the arrest to two business burglars.  This investigation lead to the recovery of thousands of dollars worth of stolen property and the closure of several business burglaries.  She was also responsible for the capture and arrest of approximately ten burglars in various other cases in 2007.

Deputy Tait has been nominated several times for Deputy of the Quarter and this is the second year in a row that she has been nominated for deputy of the year.  This in itself is quite an honor as Charlie Shift has many outstanding members with a great many senior officers who have many years of experience.  Deputy Tait has demonstrated a dedication to her duties that has consistently placed her above her peers on the shift.   Her enthusiasm is an example to her fellow members of the shift and her commitment to her duties and professionalism has been noticed by more than just her shift mates. 

We are proud to present Deputy Sheriff Shannon Tait as the 2007 Sworn Employee of the Year Runner Up and thank her for her exemplary performance.  Please offer your congratulations to Deputy Tait for her commendable achievement. 

EMPLOYEES OF THE QUARTER
October 2008

 
Investigator Travis Robinson & Communications Officer Katie Norman

 The Employees of the Quarter for the 3rd Quarter of 2008 are Investigator Travis Robinson and Communications Officer Katie Norman. The employees were commended during a ceremony which was held October 23, 2008.

Investigator Travis Robinson has been selected by the supervisory staff as the Sworn Employee of the Quarter for the 3rd quarter of 2008.  The Sworn Employee of the Quarter is chosen for his exceptional performance and contribution to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. 

During the past few months, Investigator Robinson had been investigating a string of armed robberies which occurred at various locations of Fast Payday Loans throughout Okaloosa County.  During the course of these investigations, Investigator Robinson spent countless hours sorting through offense reports and witness statements to develop a common theme to determine the same suspect committed all the robberies.   Additionally, his analysis determined the robberies were occurring on the same day of the week.  Working on investigative intuition, he developed an operations plan and coordinated the efforts of additional personnel to stake out the Payday Loan businesses.  His hunch paid off.  On September 11th, while Investigator Robinson was in Fast Payday Loans on North Eglin Parkway, he recognized the suspect who was attempting another armed robbery. After a foot pursuit, he was able to apprehend the suspect.  In a subsequent interview, the suspect confessed to the robberies and indicated he would have done what was necessary to get the money.  This suspect was getting increasingly bold and confronting the business employees about the amount of money stolen. 

Investigator Robinson is admired among his peers who constantly seek his skills and assistance and he never fails to support them with their requests and needs.  In a recent home invasion robbery, he assisted another investigator by getting a confession from one of the suspects.  His enthusiasm and motivation never waiver and he sets the standard for his co-workers. 

 Katie Norman has been selected by the supervisory staff as the Non-Sworn Employee of the Quarter for the 3rd Quarter of 2008.  The Employee of the Quarter is chosen for her exceptional performance and contribution to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.  Katie started her employment with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in September, 2007, and works in our Communications Center.

On September 11, 2008, Katie distinguished herself as the Channel 2 operator when Investigator Travis Robinson thwarted a robbery at Fast Payday Loans on North Eglin Parkway.  Katie not only kept up with the information provided by Investigator Robinson while he was in foot pursuit of the suspect, but dispatched numerous units to the area ensuring the safety of Investigator Robinson and a quick apprehension.

This is typical of Katie’s performance.  She maintains composure during stressful situations and continually goes that extra mile to ensure the job gets done correctly.  Katie’s attention to detail, quick action and teamwork with not only her fellow communications officers, but with the responding field units, reflects credit upon herself, Communications and the Sheriff’s Office.

LIFESAVING & VALOR AWARDS
July 10, 2008


Lifesaving Awards: DeputyTony Kelly, Deputy Michael Peters, Deputy James Reeves, Deputy Joe Milonas, Deputy Rob Robinson, Sergeant Keith Van Dyke, Sergeant Brian Cokonougher, Corporal John Lee, and Deputy David Chamberlain

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Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
1250 North Eglin parkway
Shalimar, FL 32579
(850) 651-7410