Sheriff Johnson Promotes Three, Including New Major, Shuffles Command Staff

Date Added: June 07, 2016 2:53 pm

Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SHERIFF JOHNSON PROMOTES THREE, INCLUDING NEW MAJOR, SHUFFLES COMMAND STAFF

In a sweeping staff make-over for what likely will be the last time during his administration, Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson has named a new major along with two other promotions and juggled the command of all three of the agency’s operating divisions. The personnel moves -- which include the promotion of veteran lawman Paul Adkins to major and the assignment of a new commander for the Sheriff’s Office’s law enforcement operations in DeBary -- are likely to be the last overhaul in the agency’s top ranks before Sheriff Johnson leaves office at the end of the year.

The moves were prompted by the recent retirements of three long-time law enforcement officers, Major Jim Melady, Captain Ray Almodovar and Lieutenant Bobby Goggin. With key positions to fill, Sheriff Johnson used the occasion to re-shape his command staff in order to give the operating divisions a fresh perspective. A new chief deputy, Eric Dietrich, was installed in January. “I’m very proud of all three of you,” Sheriff Johnson told his three newly-promoted officers at a ceremony Tuesday morning in front of a packed audience at the Sheriff’s Office’s Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach. “You’ve all worked hard to get here.”

Promoted along with Major Adkins was Captain Tim Morgan and Lieutenant Richard Fortin. The 44-year-old Adkins brings nearly 20 years of experience with the Sheriff’s Office to his new post, having started with the agency in September 1996. He has worked a wide range of assignments in the agency, including road patrol, traffic, narcotics, court services, extraditions, internal affairs and communications. He also served as DeBary commander and the executive officer of the Law Enforcement Services Division and heads up the Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team. Adkins has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Florida. As major, Adkins now commands the Judicial Services Division -- which includes court security, prisoner transport, central records and the civil section. He took the division reins from Major Shane Summers, who has been put in charge of the agency’s Law Enforcement Services Division. The prior Law Enforcement Services Division commander, Major Chico Mandizha, has assumed command of the Support Services Division from the retired Major Melady. That division includes training, communications, evidence, fleet services and information systems. The rotation in the divisional commanders took effect last month.

In yet another staff change, newly-promoted Captain Morgan has been named commander of the Sheriff’s Office’s law enforcement operations in DeBary. He took over for Captain Almodovar, the former DeBary commander who retired from the Sheriff’s Office in April. The 47-year-old Morgan has been with the Sheriff’s Office since December 2000. During his tenure with the agency, he has worked in a variety of positions that have included road patrol, internal affairs and assignments on the Deltona street crimes unit and the Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT Team. Prior to taking over command of the DeBary operations, Morgan was an assistant district commander for the Sheriff’s Office law enforcement operations in southeast Volusia County. When hired by the Sheriff’s Office, Morgan brought a wealth of experience to the agency from his days as a law enforcement officer in Daytona Beach, Colorado and Ohio. Morgan has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Keiser University.

Lieutenant Fortin, 39, has worked for the Sheriff’s Office for nearly 11 years, almost all of it in investigations. He came here after working as a police officer in South Daytona and Melbourne Village. Prior to his promotion, Lieutenant Fortin was an investigative supervisor in the Sheriff’s Office’s Southeast Volusia district. He’s now one of the Sheriff’s Office’s two assistant district commanders in Deltona. Fortin has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Keiser University.