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December 2004 Edition

		Sheriff's Report: The Fraternal Order of Police contract was ratified last week. Those who voted supported the contract by a wide margin, with 85% voting for it. The contract is a good one and most people covered by the union will see significant pay increases over the next three years. Both the contract and the FOP pay plan are posted for your viewing in our Outlook Public Folders under "Fraternal Order of Police". The pay plan includes any changes that may apply to your vacation accrual as well. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make this contract happen. Retroactive pay will come this week to union members, just in time for Christmas. Keep in mind that the pay plan was designed by the Fraternal Order of Police, not by Sheriff's Office Administration. If you have a problem with your rate of pay, contact the union. As always, if there is a payroll issue (sick time, vacation time, overtime or simply an error in your check), contact Kimm Johnson in the Finance Division. The contract requires a change in the way we pay you for holidays. For those of you who have, in the past, received a check for holiday pay in December, you will now see that extra pay in your checks as the year progresses. When a paid holiday takes place, the pay for it will appear in your next paycheck instead of at the end of the year. You will receive your check for taking no sick time at the end of the fiscal year (in October) instead of in December. There are other changes, all outlined in the contract which you can read for yourself. The contract is in place until the end of September, 2007. I want to wish you all Happy Holidays. I am awarding everyone an extra eight hours of annual leave in addition to the paid holidays on Friday, December 24th and Friday, December 31st. You will see this additional annual leave appear on your pay checks during the January 14th payroll. You may take the leave when you wish, with supervisor's approval. Record the time as vacation time, please. Part time and hourly employees will be pro-rated based on the hours they work. Thank you for all your hard work this past year. It has been a terrific year. The first half of 2004 saw an 11% decrease in crime, much higher than the state average and a number we should all be proud of. I hope we can anticipate a similar decrease for the second half of the year, and I look forward to seeing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement report when it comes out in 2005. Colonel Rick Ramsay has been working hard in his new position this year, and has gradually been making the job his own. He is a terrific help to me, and a great choice for the position of second in command of the office. Most of all, I am thankful for the way we all work so well together. Our teamwork and professionalism make us an agency we can all be proud to work for. May we all have a happy, productive and safe year in 2005.

Bureau of Operations

Sector I Report

By Captain Chad Scibilia

Hello all from sector one. I hope I find everyone in a festive holiday spirit. I have missed the last few months of the rap sheet so I don’t remember where I left off with the coming and goings of the sector personnel. So in an effort to not miss anyone I will just say hello and welcome to all you new people and goodbye to all you who have left. Things in the sector have been going really well and I would thank each and every member for their hard work and dedication. A special atta boy goes out to Sgt. Mimosa and Sgt. Roberts crews, (our two night shifts). Each team had an opportunity to interrupt and apprehend a burglary in progress. (nice job guys).

Well with the season on us, it is time for the eating to begin. Sector one hosted a holiday lunch at the station on the 22nd. Lots of people were there and a great time was had by all. Likewise, the FOP party was on the 18th. Once again, history repeated itself and it was a terrific party.

On a last note, sector one (myself, Col. Ramsay, Sgt. Mimosa and Dep. Shultz) took another road trip to loop road and did a little patrolling and game check point. This was a great time and while working with FWC, Park Rangers and us, we issued 3 criminal citation and one pending game violation investigation. We got to take some air boat tours, talk with the really nice Monroe citizens and meet some great LEOs from our sister agencies. Although as you can see in the photo, Mimosa, Shultz and myself did take a vote a demote the colonel to sergeant while we were there. Don’t worry colonel, you can have the birds back now. By the way Paul, the snake in you bed was not poisonous. This is really a good time, a good thing for the area and a nice change of pace. If you are interested in going next time, let the colonel or me know.

Sector 6 Report

By Captain Joe Leiter

Awards and Commendations

Congratulations, Employees of the 3rd Quarter, 2004!           

Right to left: Reserve Deputy Ralph Williams, Records Supervisor Jamie Denton, Detective Sgt. Trish Dally and Sheriff Rick Roth.	Corrections Sgt. James Sheagren

SWORN : Detective Sergeant Trish Dally was assigned to oversee the two detectives of the Homicide Unit, as well as three detectives in the Crimes Against Women and Children Unit and five Victim Advocates four and half years ago.

Upon taking over the Homicide Unit, Det. Sgt. Dally inherited a disheveled storage room of reports, photos, and cold cases that were piled away in dozens of assorted boxes and bookbinders. Many of the boxes contained numerous and assorted case supplements, copies of interviews, cassette audio tapes, copies of property receipts from different cases, hundreds of photos, and many case reports that were improperly filed. Sgt. Dally took on the task of going through all of the above-mentioned items. She put these items in order and properly filed and catalogued them. This task, which she worked on by herself, took approximately three months to complete. During that time frame, she also found a list of cold case numbers. Some of the cold cases had paperwork in the boxes and shelves, but for many of the cases on that list, there was no paperwork in the Homicide Unit. She went to central records, scrolled the microfiche files, and went to the Property Division to obtain any and all available paperwork. She then catalogued, filed, and bound what are currently our cold case files in the Homicide Unit. Her goal was to make the tracking of these cases as easy as possible for the detectives and the agency. This was a direct result of Det. Sgt. Dally’s hard work and self-initiative.

She has worked closely with the Homicide Unit to make us feel part of a team of detectives. Over the years, Det. Sgt. Dally has come to all of the homicide scenes, unless out of town at the time. At the scene, she offers assistance to the lead detective on the case and has helped with task coordination and brainstorming. She actively participates in the investigation process and is always available to assist homicide whenever and however we need it. One such example of her participation in a case came on April 7, 2004. Homicide had been called by St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office to assist them with a homicide. Their suspect, Charles Best was the suspect for the death of his wife at their home in St. John’s County. Best was believed to be in Monroe County possibly with a rental car. She went to the Marathon Airport to check with the car rental dealer’s and see if Best had rented a car from them. While inside, Det. Sgt. Dally spotted Charles Best and followed him outside. She called dispatch for back up and took down Charles Best at gunpoint and waited for back up to handcuff him. Her involvement in the case resulted in the apprehension of Charles Best. Her involvement in that case was a demonstration of her self-initiative, sound judgment by following good tactical procedures and taking him down outside, away from others. (See case 04-OFF-003299).

Shortly after taking over the Homicide Unit, there was only one homicide detective for all of the death call-outs in the county for approximately four months. Sgt. Dally stepped forward to help out. She took one week a month as the on call detective for death call-outs, until Investigator Ellsworth was hired. At the time, Sgt. Dally was also covering for her CAWACU detectives for on call duty as required, due to manpower shortage, vacations or schools.

Det. Sgt. Dally has supervised the Crimes Against Women and Children Unit for many years. CAWACU Detectives are the most highly specialized of all investigators. They have to follow very specific requirements when interviewing children and dealing with crimes against children. She provides training for the detectives and guides them in the interpretation of the applicable laws. These detectives deal with seizures of computers that contain child pornography, handling and preserving evidence in sexual assault cases, and figuring out the actual cases from those of false allegations. She also has worked some of these cases, due to the workload of the detectives, covering on call due to emergency leave, schools, or manpower problems. Det. Sgt. Dally reviews and is available to assist the detectives as their needs arise.

When the Sheriff’s Office was awarded the grant for the First Responder Victim’s Advocate Program, it was turned over to Sgt. Dally to oversee. She has trained, directed, and helped develop it to its current status. The Victim Advocates are a well-trained, dedicated group of individuals who assist victims of crimes. They are an invaluable resource for law enforcement personnel. The Advocate’s help victim’s with obtaining restraining orders, providing resources for financial assistance, as well as being a sounding board for the victim’s. She is required to take care of the quarterly reports, staying updated on the grant requirements, as well as handling the financial and statistical documentation of their activities. She was instrumental in establishing a collaborative union between outside social service agencies, (i.e. Department of Children and Families, the Domestic Abuse Shelter, Family Court, Legal Services), as a means of better serving the needs of victims and survivors of crime.

Det. Sgt. Dally has also been training Det. Leird and Det. Norman with supervising the above units in her absence. She is patient and allows learning through doing. Her goal has been to teach others to act on her behalf when she is gone or unavailable and to prepare others to promote to supervisory positions. Det. Sgt. Dally supports continued training and education for all of her personnel and advises us at our unit meetings of upcoming training.

Unlike other Sgt.’s in the department, Det. Sgt. Dally supervises three very different and specialized groups that totals ten people. She has remained enthusiastic about her work, is supportive of her people, has maintained an open door for both personal and work related problems, as well as embracing and utilizing the differences of individual personalities with-in the unit.

Over these past years, Det. Sgt. Trish Dally has demonstrated and exemplified the best qualities of professionalism, ethical and moral standards, a positive attitude towards her job, a dedication to strong management and training skills, and is a leader by example of her words and actions.

Most good supervisors go unnoticed for the good work they do. Often they make the work they do appear effortless and stress free. As line level employees, we are not often aware of the goings-on behind closed doors and behind the scenes. Most good supervisors are content with the knowledge they have good people working with them as a part of a team and they get satisfaction from the fruits of those labors.

CORRECTIONS: Sgt. Sheagren consistently takes an active interest in the Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Corrections. He frequently recommends procedural and physical changes that will enhance our operations. Sgt. Sheagren submitted a revision proposal for the Bureau of Corrections policy and procedures for Marchman. He was tenacious with his research, gathered all memos and directives on the subject, and reviewed Florida State Statue 397.01-397.6675, and wrote a comprehensive March Policy and Procedure for Corrections.

Sgt. Sheagren also took on the initiative and the responsibility for re-certifying seven of our Officers’ in CPR. He worked long hard hours to accomplish this task (without any overtime) and he never uttered a complaint. This was a monumental task; he made sure our facility was in 100% compliance with the F.C.A.C. He consistently maintains an above standard performance rating and has maintained the wellness award consecutively for five years and is always available for special projects or additional duties in our facility.

Sgt. Sheagren requires minimal supervision, is always ready, and willing to assist. He excels in the Agencies Core Values; he is loyal, dedicated, and a team leader. His efforts and tenacities are a definite asset to the Plantation Key Detention Facility and to the Sheriff’s Office.

SUPPORT :  Jamie Denton has help in so many situations, and she continues to go the extra mile to assist other even if it might not be her job.

On Thursday, July 22, 2004, the jail received an arrest from the City of Key West named Jeffrey Bryson. Mr. Bryson insisted that he was not the person wanted. The FBI, Customs, Oklahoma, Secret Service and other states where calling the jail to talk to Mr. Bryson because of the many warrants he had within the United States. Jamie listened to Mr. Bryson’s mother and Mr. Bryson who claimed he was a victim of identity theft. Jamie went to work and did everything in her power to establish that he was not the person that was wanted. Jamie in fact did establish that Mr. Bryson was the victim. When he was released, Jamie stepped in again to make sure Mr. Bryson was taken to Miami to meet up with the ship he was taken from.

Jamie is dependable and never considers stories like this as being special because she considers it her job.

RESERVE : Reserve Ralph Williams has been a very big asset to the Reserve program. Ralph averages 120 hours of volunteer time per month. Ralph always makes himself available for details that the reserves in Sector VI & VII are called upon to perform. Ralph volunteered for four 12-hour shifts performing neighborhood patrol in Islamorada during the latest hurricane watch/warning.

During the last 11 months, Ralph attended the Basic Law Enforcement Academy in the evening. To fully appreciate this achievement, you need to know that Ralph drove every school day from Key Largo (MM 103) to the Florida Keys Community College in Key West. This was a 200 mile round trip. After graduating top in his class with academic honors, Ralph passed the LEO state exam on his first try. Ralph has begun FTO as a Reserve Deputy (volunteer) in Islamorada until he can be offered a full-time position.

Ralph is commitment to the goals and objectives of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and has put in 2067 hours of volunteer time over the last 19 months.

EXPLORER : Over the last several months, Explorer Brian Backhus has shown what true volunteerism is all about. During the times when most kids would think of themselves or about what they could be doing for fun, Explorer Backhus was thinking of the community.

While people were evacuating the Keys because of threats of hurricanes Backhus was responding to the Key Largo Fire Department to help in any way he could. He has put in several hours being trained on the different fire fighting and emergency rescue equipment in order to better understand and help the department in time of need. He has completed the First Responder Course and is now able to assist the rescue crews at various types of incidents.

Explorer Backhus does this while still attending school, regular explorer meetings and activities and holds down a part time job. Explorer Backhus has a true sense of community pride and shows this in the many volunteer activities that he is involved with.

Service Awards for the Third Quarter, 2004

Letters of Thanks and Commendation

Support Services

FRS Bulletin

Human Resources Director Donna Moore wanted to share with you all the latest Florida Retirement System Electronic Newsletter for Employers. Click here to look at an Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF) version of it.

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