New Captain Tops List Of Sheriff's Office Promotions

Date Added: January 10, 2012 12:00 pm

Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

The future of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office’s supervisory ranks continued to be shaped on Tuesday with four promotions, including selection of the agency’s newest Captain, Paul Adkins. “You’ve done a great job for us,” Sheriff Ben Johnson told Adkins while presenting him with his Captain’s bars. Also promoted on Tuesday were Lieutenant Bryan Barnard and the Sheriff’s Office two newest line-level supervisors, Sergeants Omar McKnight and Chuck Whitener. Between the four of them, they boast more than 40 years of combined service to the Sheriff’s Office. To Sheriff Johnson, that depth and experience is a sign that the Sheriff’s Office is in good hands. “We’re very fortunate to have the caliber of the men and women that we have coming up through the ranks,” Sheriff Johnson told the large crowd assembled at the Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach. “That’s the future of this department.”

The 40-year-old Adkins has been with the Sheriff’s Office since September 1996. His prior assignments include road patrol, narcotics, court services, extraditions and traffic. Adkins also serves on the Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team and as sergeant, he supervised the agency’s Deltona Street Crimes Unit. Adkins’ two most recent assignments prior to his promotion were assistant commander of Communications and head of Internal Affairs. Adkins, who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida, was also named the agency’s deputy of the year in 1997. In his new role, Adkins will be assuming command of the Sheriff’s Office’s law enforcement operations in DeBary. The current DeBary Commander, Captain Eric Dietrich, will be transferring to the Special Services Section.

Lieutenant Barnard has nearly 16 years of experience with the Sheriff’s Office, having been hired on in May 1996. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Supervision and Management from Daytona State College and has previously served in extraditions and road patrol as well as a stint working security at Daytona Beach International Airport. His new assignment will be serving as one of the agency’s two rotating, night-time Watch Commanders. “It’s a big step, and we know you’re up to it,” Sheriff Johnson told the 36-year-old Barnard.

For the two sergeants, both came up through road patrol. McKnight is 27 and was hired in October 2005. And Whitener is 40 and was hired in March 2004. For all four, Sheriff Johnson had these words of guidance that have become the agency’s unofficial motto: “Remember to always do the right thing for the right reason.”