Sheriff Honors Department Award Winners During DSA Dinner
Santa Barbara - March 31st, 2009
More than two dozen sworn and civilian employees of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department were honored over the weekend during the annual Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association’s Awards Banquet.
Nearly 250 people attended the Saturday night affair at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara making it the largest turnout in more than a decade. The centerpiece of the evening was the awards presentation for more than two dozen personnel and volunteers. Sheriff Bill Brown recognized 16 people for their service to the Sheriff’s Department, while the DSA handed out eleven awards to DSA members who were selected by their union peers.
The Sheriff’s Department honored the following people:
Meritorious Service Award /Joe Ayala Communications Dispatch Supervisor
Jose “Joe” Ayala’s efforts to improve the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, fine tune dispatch procedures and develop the Reverse 911 system have proven instrumental in the Department’s mission to protect lives.
Meritorious Service Award/Custody Deputy Paul Deslaurier
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Paul Deslaurier’s training in emergency medical response and search and rescue techniques proved valuable when he happened upon a two car crash on Highway 101 while driving home from work. Paul rappelled down a 100-foot cliff to help rescue an adult and child whose car had plummeted down the embankment.
Meritorious Service Award/Deputy Ian Doughty
Based on limited information, Deputy Ian Doughty’s investigative skills and persistence helped locate and save the life of a suicidal woman who had overdosed on pain medication after locking herself in a Santa Maria hotel room.
Exceptional Citizen Award/Daniel K. Gaither
During Daniel K. Gaither’s 13-years as a volunteer Jail Chaplain he has been a mentor, counselor, friend and supporter to hundreds of inmates in the Santa Barbara County Jail. His dedication has inspired and influenced countless individuals to work on becoming productive citizens upon their release.
Meritorious Service Award/Senior Deputy Paul Miranda and Deputy Byron Kies
Senior Deputy Paul Miranda and Deputy Byron Kies (keys) received a call of a suicidal woman who had driven off after combining multiple prescription medications and alcohol. They eventually found her unresponsive in the back seat of her car. Their investigative techniques, quick thinking and emergency medical training helped save the woman’s life.
Distinguished Service Award/Aircraft Mechanic Mel Mobley
As the only full-time mechanic at the Department’s Aviation Bureau, Mel Mobley was crucial in skillfully maintaining the department’s helicopters which served an important role in fighting the devastating Gap and Tea Fires.
Meritorious Service Award/Commander Donald Patterson
As the Incident Law Branch Director, Commander Don Patterson was responsible for the coordination of hundreds of peace officers from state, county and city agencies as they carried out varying duties including evacuations, barricades and law enforcement patrols during the Zaca, Gap and Tea Fires. Commander Patterson’s leadership was a critical factor in their success.
Distinguished Service Award/Deputy Dave Robertson
Deputy Dave Robertson’s dedication to the Department’s Explorer program has helped introduce dozens of young people to a potential career in law enforcement. His coordination of the 2008 Central Coast Law Enforcement Explorer Academy is especially noteworthy.
Sheriff’s Unit Citation/JMS Team
The Jail Management System Team helped develop and launch the replacement system for the antiquated Records Management System used to track booking records, inmate movement and sentence information, as well as other statistical data.
Custody Lieutenant Diana Stetson, Custody Sergeant Tim McWilliams, Custody Sergeant Mike Haberkorn, Senior Custody Deputy Juanita Miranda, Custody Records Supervisor Gene Hartin, Extra Help Records Specialist Darleen Thompson and Senior Systems and Programming Analyst Cathy Jordan were awarded for their extraordinary dedication and expertise.
DSA Awards Eleven Members
The night’s most emotional moment came when the DSA posthumously honored D.A. Investigator Laura Cleaves with the Distinguished Service Award. Laura Cleaves, who was also a Reserve Deputy, was killed last year by a drunk driver. Attending the ceremony to accept the honor on her behalf were Cleaves’ two adult daughters and her husband, Steve Cleaves, who is a Sergeant with the Sheriff’s Department.
The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association represents nearly 500 sworn personnel in Santa Barbara County including Patrol Deputies, Custody Deputies, Dispatchers and Investigators with the District Attorney’s office.
The DSA Honorees are as follows:
Deputy Supervisor of the Year - Sergeant Steven Hiersche
Deputy of the Year - Sheriff Deputy Steven Gonzalez
Deputy Rookie of the Year - Sheriff Deputy Daniel Nelson
Custody Supervisor of the Year - Sergeant James Meter
Custody Deputy of the Year - Senior Custody Deputy Seth Hutson and Senior Custody Deputy Rick Zepf
Custody Deputy Rookie of the Year - Custody Deputy Derrick Day
Investigator of the Year - Detective Ruby Wolf
Dispatcher of the Year - Susan Farley
Distinguished Service Award - Chaplain Jerry Gray
Association Appreciation Award - Lieutenant Ugo "Butch" Arnoldi
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