Sheriff's Office Employees Of The Quarter Honored

Date Added: August 05, 2014 12:00 pm

Brandon Haught
Public Information Office

A respected School Resource Deputy who has solved significant crimes on school campuses and an investigator known for successfully untangling complex fraud cases are among the recipients of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office’s Employees of the 2nd Quarter of 2014 awards. The Tuesday morning ceremony at the Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach also featured an outstanding civilian, telecommunicator and volunteer.

Deputy of the quarter Mike Worlledge works at New Smyrna Beach High School and New Smyrna Beach Middle School and earned the distinction of being named School Resource Deputy of the year for the 2013-14 school year. The students he works with every day look to him as a law enforcer, mentor, mediator, advisor and role model. Worlledge also was responsible for resolving several complicated investigations. One in particular resulted in the arrest of a coach for burglary and grand theft. Worlledge spearheaded a sting that identified the coach as the culprit who had been stealing money from students’ gym lockers.

“Deputy Worlledge is professional, dedicated and compassionate for students and our community,” said New Smyrna Beach Middle School assistant principal W. Kelly Case.

Investigator of the quarter Lance Lamee is well known for his jovial and positive attitude in his office at the Sheriff’s Office’s District 3, which covers county areas around Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. But it’s his focus and determination that propel him until he successfully wraps up investigations no matter how many obstacles are in his way. Lamee has worked several difficult and time consuming embezzlement cases involving the theft of thousands of dollars. One such case involved months of detailed inspections of business records and financial documents and resulted in an arrest. Lamee also proactively works with patrol deputies on their cases, especially those involving computer crimes and digital media.

“Lamee’s great attitude is contagious in that it infects the entire office and makes for a very positive atmosphere,” said fellow investigator Richard Graves in his letter nominating Lamee for the award.

Employee of the quarter Kathy Burnsed is an administrative assistant at the Sheriff’s Office’s District 2, which covers areas around DeLand and the northwest part of the county. She was praised for going above and beyond the normal duties expected of her position. Burnsed creates photo lineups, does criminal history checks, cross references information and performs other analyst-type work that assists investigators and deputies. Her fellow employees say that she serves an invaluable role in the office, ensuring projects flow smoothly from beginning to end.

“You’ve always been there for us,” said Sheriff Johnson during the award presentation. “What a great job you do.”

Telecommunicator of the quarter Christine Watts earned the recognition for her calm and professional handling of a difficult disturbance incident. A domestic fight was happening in a vehicle traveling from Daytona Beach to DeLand. Watts stayed on the phone with the 911 caller for 20 minutes and relayed the constantly changing location to dispatchers for broadcast to responding law enforcement officers. Her role in the team effort helped ensure that the incident ended safely for everyone involved.

“You always do a great job,” said Sheriff Johnson. “We want to thank you for everything you do.”

Volunteer of the quarter Marge Clauser’s main responsibility is that of a victim’s compensation advocate. Her efforts have helped dozens of crime victims receive compensation checks from the state to cover losses due to property crimes. But Clauser’s volunteer work doesn’t stop there. She assists citizens who go to the Sheriff’s Office’s District 2 seeking help and information. Clauser is well known for always being friendly and wanting to help resolve citizen’s issues.

“She embodies the best that volunteerism has to offer and deserves to receive this award,” said District 2 commander Capt. Charles Brown. “She is the best!”