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Sheriff's Office Recognizes Top Employees of the Quarter
Date Added: November 03, 2015 9:00 am
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer
Recent crimes reported in Deltona include a bomb threat, two shootings and the sex offenses of a naked flasher prowling the community. What followed in all cases was the arrest of the suspected perpetrators. On Tuesday, Sergeant Pat Leahy, who leads the investigative staff at the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office’s Deltona headquarters that helped solve all of those cases, was honored as the agency’s top investigator of the quarter. Sergeant Leahy was joined by three other honorees at an awards ceremony in Daytona Beach -- Deputy Martin Fletcher, civilian employee Gloria Howard and telecommunicator Pamela Sanders. All four were honored by Sheriff Ben Johnson for their selection as the Sheriff’s Office’s top-performing employees during the 3rd quarter of 2015. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to present all of you with these awards today,” Sheriff Johnson told the foursome in front of a group of co-workers gathered at the agency’s Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center. “All four of you have done a great job for us and the citizens of Volusia County and are very deserving of this recognition.”
Sergeant Leahy was nominated for his professionalism and exceptional performance while supervising a series of high-profile investigations, all of which resulted in the apprehension and prosecution of the accused offenders. In one of the shootings, sparked by a road rage incident, the defendant was nabbed with a loaded gun and a trafficking amount of cocaine. In addition to arresting perpetrators, Sergeant Leahy also manages the Deltona district’s crime prevention programs. “Sergeant Leahy is the epitome of professionalism, always strives for excellence and expects the same from his investigators,” said his supervisor, Lieutenant Brian Henderson, in nominating Sergeant Leahy for the award. “His continued positive representation of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and unparalleled work ethic are commendable.”
Fletcher, the deputy of the quarter, was singled out for his initiative and work ethic in solving a residential burglary with two arrests and the recovery of the stolen property, and also for his street contacts that helped track down a homicide suspect. Even a seemingly routine call for service -- a barking dog complaint -- got such a thorough response from Deputy Fletcher that it ended with a felony arrest and the recovery of three pounds of marijuana. Deputy Fletcher patrols in the southeast quadrant of the county. “During the third quarter of 2015, he has really stepped up his performance,” said Fletcher’s road supervisor, Sergeant Omar McKnight. “He showed great initiative and investigative skill.” Added the Captain of the District, Charlie Brown: “Deputy Fletcher continues to do an outstanding job. He can be counted on to not only do his job, but do it really well.”
Tasked with keeping tabs on sex offenders and convicted felons, the Sheriff’s Office’s Career Criminal Unit recently underwent a re-organization. And making sure everything continued to run smoothly during the change-over was Howard, the civilian employee of the quarter. During the transition, she assumed responsibility for training replacement personnel and providing them with a working knowledge of the unit, including applicable state and federal laws, computer programs and the unit’s operating procedures. She also saw to it that sex offender registrations continued without interruption, in accordance with state and federal law. It was a demanding task, but according to Investigator Chuck Lee, Howard was more than up to the task. “Howard’s continued work ethic and overall sense of caring for the mission and successes of the Career Criminal Unit are to be applauded,” Investigator Lee wrote in his letter of nomination. “Her actions and selfless service are seen on a daily basis by everyone around her as she continues to strive for excellence for the unit.”
Sanders, the telecommunicator of the quarter, was recognized for her exceptional radio work at the Communications Center during two highly stressful and challenging calls -- a deputy- involved shooting and an escapee who briefly made off with a deputy’s patrol car. “During both situations, she remained calm, took immediate action and made accurate documentation into the computer-aided dispatch system in a timely manner,” noted shift supervisor Shonna Foster. Noted another supervisor, Shannon Sibley, about Sanders’ work during the deputy-involved shooting: “Mrs. Sanders was calm and collected through the whole ordeal. During this call, she demonstrated that she is a wonderful asset to the Sheriff’s Office and a valued dispatcher.”