Table of Contents
 
The Sheriff's Office, along with other area law enforcement
agencies, honored the memory of Detective Patrick Scribner after his death of an
apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound this month. Members of the Sheriff's
Special Weapons and Tactics squad are pictured passing a folded American flag
from hand to hand. The flag was then presented to Scribner's daughter by Lt.
Colonel Rick Ramsay.
Editor's Note: This month, Lt. Colonel Rick Ramsay is filling
in for Sheriff Roth. He wrote the following article.
On the 15th of Oct. we had a police memorial service at headquarters for
Detective Patrick Scribner. This service was held to honor a friend and fellow
law enforcement officer, who was dedicated and truly loved his job.
His life came to an end way too soon and he will be truly missed. The
service was put together in a very short time, but was an outstanding effort by
all who participated in the planning and who took part in the ceremony. The
service was organized and put together by a group of very special people, who
cared very much for Patrick. I would like to personally thank everyone who made
this happen and made it what it was.
The turnout was outstanding with representatives attending from all areas of
law enforcement, fire/rescue and emergency medical services. This was a very
emotional time for everyone. The ceremony, and the process of saying goodbye to
Patrick, made us all realize his death was real, and not just a bad dream.
Patrick has passed away, but will never be gone so long as we all keep him alive
in our hearts and minds.
As most of you have already heard by now, Sergeant John Barber's house was
recently destroyed after a terrible house fire. John is a school resource
officer supervisor working out of Key West.
John and his wife were out of the home when their daughter noticed smoke and
flames coming from behind a dresser. She immediately exited the house and went
for help, but by the time that fire units arrived the house was well into the
burning stage. The fire units did a great job considering the situation, but it
was futile as the house and contents were lost. No one was injured during the
fire, which is the most important thing, but nonetheless John and his family are
going through a lot.
John has a wife and three children and has received tremendous support from
everyone. The F.O.P. was right there for John as was the Sheriff's Office to
help the family out during their time of need. John's wife also received support
from her work as her boss let them move into his new house, which he had just
completed pool and all.. We are all pleased to see that they have such good
friends and co-workers who have stepped up to the plate to help them.
The Sheriff has authorized the donation of vacation time to John and his
family, which will be converted into money in order to replace clothing and
needed items. If you have any questions about this contact Becky Herrin for
further information. John we are sorry for your loss, but happy that you and your family
were not injured.
On a lighter note, Monroe county Fire/Rescue held it's annual awards
banquet at Hawk's Cay Resort on October 10th. This event was not only for
emergency services personnel, but for law enforcement as well. We had a very
good showing of deputies, who received a variety of awards for life saving as
well as for heroism. A good portion of the awards given out were for our men and
women and I was very proud to be there to support them and see them receive
their awards.
A good time was had by all and the food was outstanding to say the least. The
event had a gathering of about two hundred people and lasted most of the night.
For those who received awards congratulations are in order and a thanks to
everyone for an outstanding job.
Quite a number of people toured the new Aviation Hanger facility and the new
Mobile Command Post in Marathon October 22nd during a special open house. It was
nice to see members of the public take time to attend the open house. They
obviously care about the Sheriff's Office and everyone was very positive and
supportive in their comments. The safety and security of the public is, of
course, our primary responsibility and something we are concerned about every
day. We could not do our job as well as we do, however, without the
support and partnership of the community.
 
An open house held October 22nd in Marathon showcased the new Sheriff's
Mobile Command Post and the new Aviation Hangar. Members of the public were able
to tour both the hangar and the vehicle during the course of the day, as well as
the two Sheriff's helicopters and the prisoner transport plane, all of which are
stored in the hangar building.
Remember to review paperwork, and keep your will up to date
By Risk Manager Tamara Snider
In lieu of the recent events with our Sheriff's Office families over the past
few weeks, I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone to review your personal
paperwork on a regular basis to make sure it is up to date. That includes any
life insurance policies you might have, wills, property insurance policies and
any other important paperwork. Beneficiaries change, as does the value of your
house and property and it is important that all the information be up to date
just in case.
Throughout our lives changes take place during the normal course of things,
and if you're someone who has worked for the agency for some time you
probably never thought about reviewing your personnel file to make sure
everything in it is accurate and up to date. If something happens to you and the
information is not accurate, particularly the beneficiary information, the
insurance company will have no choice but to pay your benefits to the person you
have listed on your paperwork/policies. I can't stress enough to take a moment
and look into this. You can contact Human Resources at 292-7044/45 or via email
to Khernandez@keysso.net.
As for those of you who are homeowners, make sure your policy limits are
sufficient for the current replacement value of your home. You should sit down
with your insurance agent every year or two and review your policies to
make sure they will cover you in the event of an emergency, disaster or other
occurrence.
Make sure you have a will and that you keep it up to date. Your will should
be in a place where your survivors will be able to find it should something
happen to you, either on file with an attorney, in a safe deposit box or
somewhere else accessible but secure.
You should also consider keeping important paperwork - like wills, insurance
policies, birth certificates, social security cards, marriage certificates and
vehicle titles - in a safe deposit box just in case something happens to your
house, such as a fire, flood or hurricane.
Recent events should teach us all something: it can happen to you, and you
should be prepared if it does.
New Civil Citation
By Community
Relations Director Greg Artman
A new Civil
Citation will be coming out in the near future which has been developed in
cooperation with the Key West Police Department. It will consolidate the
current Civil Citation form, Tobacco Citation, Truancy Violation, and Key West
Curfew violation into one form. When the new Citation arrives, there will be
training available to MCSO and KWPD personnel. There will also be information
available through the monthly Rap Sheet, and from the Juvenile Diversion
Programs office.
The concern over
continued Teen Court funding will be discussed at a "summit meeting" hosted by
Senator Rod Smith on November 13th in West Palm Beach. Since the legislature
passed legislation doing away with Teen Court's ability to be funded through a
county ordinance attaching a $3 fee to court costs, there has been a growing
movement to reinstate the funding source. New legislation will be discussed,
as well as other options for continuing this worthwhile program. Greg Artman
and Karol Cotton from MCSO will be attending the meeting from Monroe County.
Heroes of the Keys
Deputies, firefighters,
and emergency medical services workers from around the Keys were honored
recently at a special "Heroes of the Keys" dinner held at St. Peter's Church
on Big Pine Key. The photos featured below were taken by Joyce Cordell and
were submitted to the Rap Sheet by Matt Cordell, with the Sheriff's Aviation
Division:
 
The Sheriff's Honor Guard took part in the "Heroes of the Keys" dinner
at St. Peter's Church on Big Pine Key and Sheriff Roth was a featured speaker
at the event.
Sector One Report
By Captain Chad Scibilia
Hello again from Sector one. I would like to
start out by saying thank you to everyone in sector one for making my transition
here a smooth one and welcoming me to such a fine station.
We have to say good by to Natalie Mashburn,
she has been selected to fill a CAWAC position and will have started by the time
you read this. Natalie worked hard at obtaining this position, and we
congratulate her on her accomplishment and wish her the best of luck in her new
duties. We will miss her energetic and friendly work around the sector and thank
you for your dedication and hard work.
I could not complete this article without
saying thank you to Sgt. Vaughn Sommers, Dep. Matt Dowling and Dep. Maretta
McNichol. These three officers along with the rest of the zone officers, have
been instrumental in targeting juvenile problems we have been having on Stock
Island. These three officers organized a meeting with several MCSO units and the
SAO in efforts to come up with ideas to combat the problem. The three officers
then held a community meeting to seek input, support and assistance from the
citizens. This resulted in a strong partnership with the community and another
crime watch group being started as well as putting us on a strong path to
solving the juvenile problem. I would also like to thank Dep. LaVache and Dir.
Artman for their assistance.
Monroe County EMS held it annual awards
banquet last week and recognized several officers for their efforts throughout
the year. Congratulations to Dep. Mark Long and Dep. Jimmy Williams for being
awarded for the delivery of a baby. Also awarded were Dep. Diane Mimosa and Sgt.
Daryl Hull for life saving efforts. They were given the Phoenix award, which I
am told is a very prestigious award in the fire world. Congratulations to all.
We would like to welcome back Dep. Freddie
Rodriguez and Dep. Butch Albury. Freddie was out on maternity leave and we
welcome him back to the working class and congratulate him on his new baby girl.
Butch has been gone at bomb school and has finally graduated from Red Stone.
Remember Butch, when it stops ticking, RUN.
And last but certainly not least, I wanted
to say thank you to Lt. Mitch Snider. Mitch has been working many hours this
month and helped cover several patrol shifts in order to afford officers time to
attend training as well as personnel matters. Your hard work and dedication is
appreciated. You are truly an asset to this sector.
Until next month, stay safe.
PS. Sector 4, you can’t have my training
budget but we appreciate your efforts.
Sector 6 Report
By Lt.
Tom Brazil
During
September & October Sector 6 has been fairly quiet. This is generally the
slowest time of the year for us and since we have been lucky and remained at
full strength in manpower, we have been able to keep a handle on most of the
issues that have come up. We have worked closely with Sector 7 in covering
each others night shifts to ensure adequate backup and road coverage. Great
job to everyone in displaying a true team spirit. I would personally like to
thank everyone for their professionalism, dedication and loyalty to the
agency.
In early September the law enforcement
contract with Islamorada was renewed with the Sheriff. From the feedback we
have received both council and residents are pleased with the service we
have provided over the last three years. The Village is going to include a
new station in the government center being built on the south end of the
property at Founders Park, which will give us considerably more room than we
have now. Construction is expected to start next year.
On
the lighter side, Jim Freed recently did his impersonation of Tom Cruise in
the movie Top Gun when he had to "punch out" of his unit when it caught fire
while driving down US 1. Fortunately Jim got out unscathed but the unit is a
total.
Congratulations are due to K-9 deputy "Storm" on being selected for officer of
the quarter. Sergeant Hurd has done a lot of hard work in training and it
truly shows. In addition, I am proud to say that my son, Thomas "TC" Brazil,
was selected as explorer of the quarter, based in large part on his working
with Sgt. Hurd and "Storm" in training.
In early
September we had an interesting case where two juveniles from Miami on a
stolen motorcycle stole a boat at Holiday Isle Resort to go to Cuba. They
learned the hard way that when you steal a boat you should know something
about boats. They didn't and promptly ran the boat aground leaving the
channel. Both subjects were taken into custody and the boat returned to the
owner.
We had an
incident on October 21 with a violent suspect at Pelican Cove Resort that
resulted in four officers and the suspect going to the hospital. Deputy Jason
" The Tackle" Madnick made the first grab while Deputy Adam "Spray" Rabinowitz
and Winn "More Spray" Higgins demonstrated their proficiency in the use of
pepper spray, not only on the suspect but on their Sergeant, Roy Bogue, as
well. All kidding aside everyone did an excellent job in a bad situation and
none of the injuries were serious. Thanks for the help Jason.
Congratulations are due to Adam and Michelle Rabinowitz on the birth of
their son Allen Jarred "AJ." Congratulations are also due Todd and Bobby Joe
Pitts on the birth of their daughter.
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Recently during the arrest of a violent subject in
Islamorada officers were forced to utilize pepper spray to control the
subject. Pictured, top left is Sergeant Bogue who apparently was on the
receiving end of much of the spray from the other officers on his squad
during this incident.
Islamorada Fire Rescue responded and treated
both the suspect and Sgt. Bogue. Having concern for the officers the
paramedics dropped off to the Islamorada Station a training aid to
assist officers on Sgt. Bogue's squad in better distinguishing friend
and foe when utilizing pepper spray.
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Report from Marathon and Sector 5
By Lt. Larry Kelley
Hello again from Metro-Marathon and Sector 5. It’s been
a busy few months here with many special operations and events. The Poker Run
was very successful and we were fortunate to have had a crash free event
here. The traffic has been very heavy as the season gets started and we have
added numerous operations for enhanced traffic enforcement to address the
situation. The week of October 20th to 24th was National School Bus Safety
Week and we gave special attention to that violation and wrote many tickets
during that time along with numerous warnings. In November we will be
increasing our seat belt and DUI vigilance to assist with the statewide
Combined Safety Belt and DUI Enforcement Mobilization from November 21st to
January 4th. Look for TRAP funded extra positions during that period.
Congratulations to Sally Ann Crawford and Carol Johnson
for being nominated for awards for their dedication to victims rights and
advocacy. They were both cited for their work at a recent awards banquet and
awards ceremony held at the Marathon Yacht Club and hosted by the Domestic
Abuse Shelter. Keep up the great work, ladies.
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Sally Ann and Carol receiving recognition for jobs well done at a
recent awards banquet by the Domestic Abuse Shelter. |
We have been working hard to cover our road duties for
the officers that we have been sending to training recently. Deputies Chuck
Kellenberger, Harry Boyden and Ernie Paton recently attended Line Supervisor
training in Key West. This training will serve them all well in their future
careers. Deputies Sonya Morgan, Iscandel Perez, Dan Marquith and Derrick Paul
all attended Radar training to give them an extra tool in addressing one of
the most widely lodged complaints here, that of dangerous drivers.
Additionally, Deputy Harry Boyden has attended Radar and Laser Instructor
School to assist in locally training Deputies in those areas. Deputies Sonya
Morgan, Dan Marquith and Louis Rivera attended Intoxilyzer School and Deputy
Iscandel Perez has gone to laser training. Training is important to us and we
make every effort to afford a wide variety of training to all of our members.
The way we see it--if the cost is reasonable and the shift can be covered the
requested training is “doable”.
Sergeant Dennis Cain is suffering from an injured back
and has been experiencing a lot of pain due to that injury. We hope he has a
speedy recovery and we are extending whatever help he or Carol may need during
this important time. Get well soon, Dennis, we miss you.
The Aviation division has just had an open house at the
hanger and displayed the beautiful facility that has been constructed for all
of our benefit. Lieutenant Mike Pandol is to be highly commended for the many
hours of dedication he has committed to this project. He certainly has shown
that he knows what is needed and knows how to get it done. I do not think the
facility could have been better planned or constructed. Fine job, Mike.
We have tested a few boat types and have put in a request
for the new boat that will soon be on patrol here in Marathon. The position
will be funded beginning the first of January, 2004 and Deputy Harry Boyden
will be skippering the new vessel. We look forward to having a “feet wet”
Deputy here and he will always be available when called for any service
necessary. Right now we are looking for a good Marine Law Enforcement
training school for him to attend before he takes on his new duties. The
equipping and training will soon be done and then we will be off and running.
Well I guess that is all for now, ya'll work hard and
stay safe.
AND REMEMBER…..Maybe that driver did not make an illegal
U-turn under that “No U-Turn” sign—maybe he made two LEFT turns.
Letters of Commendation
-
Steve
Gonya of Key West wrote to the Sheriff commending Sgt. Joe
Passarelli for his help when Gonya's truck broke down on U.S. One.
He said, "He was good natured, patient, professional, diligent and determined in
his efforts to help me that night. In fact, he was everything a good policeman
should be."
-
Amy
Slate of Amy Slate's Amoray Dive Resort wrote to Sheriff Roth to commend
Deputy Ray Jodlowski for his help with a harassment
case. She said, "It was this officer's persistence, caring, and interpersonal
skills, which made the difference, and he should be commended for this."
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Judge
David C. Miller, of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida wrote to Sheriff
Roth commending Deputy Pete Chong-Yen for helping
him with a recent case during which a contract was placed on the Judge's life.
He said, in part, "Within hours of the death threat, Deputy Chong-Yen came to
our home to familiarize [the judge's wife] with a handgun. He also helped her
with the paperwork necessary to apply for a concealed weapons permit. The
following Saturday, Deputy Chong-Yen met us at a local gun range for live
firearm training....Pete's dedication to our security needs was greatly
appreciated. Your department is lucky to have such a devoted and conscientious
deputy."
-
Keely
C. Ball, a new Sheriff's Office employee, wrote to Sheriff Roth to tell him "of
the very positive experience I had with the staff of your
personnel department during the process leading up to my employment." She
particularly complimented Background investigators Phyllis
Smith and Joey Finch, saying they were, "....careful and professional in
demeanor....but also went the extra mile to put me at ease personally..."
-
J.
Joseph Schneeberger wrote to Sheriff Roth to commend
Deputy Jose Rodriguez and the dispatcher who
helped him with a check on his elderly father who lives in Key Largo. He said,
in part, "I want very much to thank Deputy Rodriguez and the department for
their concern and for taking the time to go to the trouble of checking on my
father's welfare. I was able to put my mind at ease. Although I live quite a
distance away, it's reassuring to know that help is so close and responsive."
Law Enforcement and Detention Deputy Promotional Examinations
November 15, 2003 at the Training Center in
Marathon (at Airport Hanger) at 9:00am – Sergeants exam, 1:00pm – Lieutenants
exam.
Eligibility Requirements: In order to
be eligible to go through the promotional process, candidates must have 18
months of experience as a certified Officer with the Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office as of November 15, 2003.
Selection Criteria: The selection
process will be governed by the following:
-
Successful completion of a Written
Examination will account for 100% of the overall score for the eligibility
list. Only those candidates who pass the Written Examination with the
established minimum score of 70% will be eligible to put in for vacant
positions when they are posted.
-
An eligibility list will be comprised of
those members who successfully pass the Written Examination. This list will
be in effect for three years.
-
The Sheriff and his staff will review the
score, demonstrated performance and recommendations of Supervisors.
-
Final selection for appointment lies
solely within the purview of the Sheriff.
The Sheriff’s Office complies with all EEOC/Affirmative
Action guidelines.
If you sign-up for the Promotional
Examination and do not take the test you will be charged $10.00. November 15,
2003, will be the only day the Promotional test is administered.
Supplemental Plan Survey
By Kristie Hernandez
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office currently
provides a wide variety of supplemental coverage to you (i.e. – term life,
cancer policy, whole life, 457 retirement, etc..) to better meet your needs. We
would like to know if the current policies offered meet your needs or if you
would like to see any new types of plans in the future. Please contact Kristie
Hernandez in Human Resources at (305) 292-7044 or e-mail to
khernandez@keysso.net.
 Cook Book for Sale
From Detective Larry
O'Neill:
The Island Christian School Senior Cheerleaders, including my daughter
Jessica, are now selling a great local cookbook that they have put together to
fund their senior trip to Hawaii!!!. The book was the idea of cheerleader Adrian
LaFountain. It contains great recipes and was the product of the contributions
of many local women. I have attached a scan of the front of the book, if you
would like to purchase one, contact Larry O'Neill at the Plantation Key
Substation. The price is $15.00.
Congratulations!
Here is Deputy Dan Marquith,
Sector 4, pictured with his new baby daughter,
Kimberly. Mother is Kira (Jensen) Marquith
and proud Grandmother is Tammy Jenson,
the Sheriff's Office SRO at Stanley Switlik school.
Bad month for Bambi
Submitted by Lt. Sharon Delossantos
Jim Sheagren (who is also the photographer) and our "Boney
Knee'd Bowana", retired Jail Lt. Joe Saly went hunting for Bambi
recently....Doesn't retirement look good on him?.....Life is good!!!!!!!!..]
More Bambi photos:
Detective Henry
Hamilton, Deputy
Chris Duncan and Detective Donnie Catala also took a toll on the Georgia deer
population recently:
  
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