Walton County • Florida

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5 General Order 2-15, Awards. Many employees of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, both sworn and non-sworn, perform “above and beyond the call of duty”. The Sheriff’s Office developed the formal awards policy so that superior performance and accomplishments could be recognized throughout the agency. The new policy addresses nominations, which can be made by any agency member who has knowledge or facts which support a nomination. The nominations are reviewed by the individual’s immediate supervisor, as well as the Division Chief. If these individuals concur with the nomination, it is then forwarded to the Awards Review Committee for consideration. As a result of this new policy, the first awards ceremony was held on September 24, 2009. Awards were presented to many deserving Sheriff’s Office employees. A subsequent awards presentation was held in December 2009. Regularly scheduled presentations will take place quarterly in the future. General Order 2-20, Drug Free Workplace. It is the policy of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office to be and to remain a drug free workplace. As a result, the drug free workplace policy was signed by Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson, Jr., effective September 1, 2009. The first random drug screening was conducted in September 2009 from a computerbased random sampling and included twenty Walton County Sheriff’s Office employees. Smaller numbers of random drug screens will be conducted on a monthly basis. Prior to offers of employment, all applicants will undergo a drug screen. In addition, employees can be tested after critical incidents or in the case where reasonable suspicion exists. General Order 1-12, Sexual Predators and Offenders. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office strives to protect its citizens, as evidence by the policy regarding sexual predators and offenders. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office continues to do community notification regarding predators, as required by Florida Statutes. In addition, the WCSO has face-to-face contact with every sexual predator and offender residing within the County. This occurs at the predators/offender’s home. This contact is not required by Statute but this proactive program was developed to further ensure the safety of all residents of Walton County, especially its children. Visits are not scheduled but made on a random basis by patrol deputies. As a result, sexual predators and offenders who are not in compliance with Florida Statutes are quickly identified and law enforcement action can be taken, if necessary. General Order 2-2, Selection. This policy was signed by Sheriff Adkinson, effective October 1, 2009. The selection policy was written and instituted by Sheriff Adkinson to begin and then maintain a fair and equitable selection process designed to employ the best-qualified employees. All elements of the selection process are job related and non-discriminatory. After an applicant successfully completes the initial steps of the hiring process, the applicant’s package is forwarded to the Personnel Selection Board for review. If the applicant’s package is acceptable, additional steps are necessary, i.e., physical examination, background investigation, drug screen, and psychological exam. Once the applicant successfully completes the process, the applicant will be placed on the availability list and formally approved for hire by the Sheriff or Undersheriff. This policy ensures a non-biased, fair hiring process. Accreditation In November 2009, Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson, Jr. signed a contract to enter into an agreement with the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation to seek accreditation for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
There are many benefits to employees of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, as well as to the community: • Accreditation increases the WCSO’s ability to prevent and control crime through the effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services. • Accreditation will enhance the community’s understanding of the WCSO and its role in the community, as well as its goals and objectives. Citizen confidence in the policies and practices of the agency is increased. • Accreditation commits the Walton County Sheriff’s Office to a broad range of programs that directly benefit the public. • Accreditation creates a forum in which deputies and citizens work together to control and prevent crime. IA Investigations During 2009 there were thirty eight (38) complaints/disciplinary action reviews by the internal affairs section agency wide. This includes twenty four (24) formal complaints, twelve (12) Supervisory Investigations, and two (2) special investigations. Out of the thirty eight (38) complaints/disciplinary actions, there were sixty three (63) policy violations investigated, of the sixty three (63) policy violations, ten (10) were exonerated, nine (9) were unfounded, six (6) were not sustained, twenty nine (29) were sustained, six (6) were administratively closed and three (3) are pending. Use of Force/Pursuit Review During 2009 there were thirty one (31) use of force reviews and three (3) pursuit reviews conducted by the Internal Affairs Office. The thirty one (31) use of force and three (3) pursuit cases were investigated in detail and justified. Quality Control The Internal Affairs Section is responsible for the receipt, processing, and investigation of allegations made against members of the Sheriff’s Office, whether, sworn or civilian. The 2009 annual report includes a statistical analysis of all complaints, disciplinary action, use of force review and pursuit reviews conducted. Additionally and at the direction of the Sheriff, the Internal Affairs Section conducts quality control checks to ensure members of the Agency are following policy and procedure set by the agency. These checks consist of patrol and investigative protocols, agency reporting workflow and departmental policy compliance. TRAINING SECTION The Training Section’s mission is to provide all employees with training opportunities that will develop and enhance their individual skill while respecting the diversity of the individual and their unique talents. The Section provides cutting edge training that reflects current and future trends in law enforcement and prepares the individual with the skills necessary for today’s law enforcement professional. The Section is lead by Lieutenant Joe Preston and Sergeant Andy Casavant. This year the training Section has been very active. In 2009 the total training hours for all employees is 10,974. Of those hours, 7,173 hours and 53 classes were conducted internally. Approximately 960 man-hours were accumulated in instruction and approximately 265 man-hours in lesson plan/ classroom preparation. There were six Civilian Firearms Classes held this year with a total of 124 individuals trained. These classes resulted in 168 man-hours incurred by our instructors. The firing range was used by seven different outside agencies with a total of 259 outside personnel trained on our range. This resulted in 216 man-hours incurred by a Firearms Instructor serving as Range Master for these outside agencies. 6
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Page 3 and 4: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIVISION Th
Page 5: • Narcotic Investigators Probable
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Page 13 and 14: the program that was much needed. A
Page 15 and 16: April 10 ~ Curtis Brown was shot an
Page 17 and 18: October 22 ~ The Sheriff’s Office
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Walton County • Florida

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