VCSO's Best Of The Quarter Recognized

Date Added: February 07, 2017 3:15 pm

Andrew Gant
Public Information Office

VCSO’S BEST OF THE QUARTER RECOGNIZED

Five members of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office were recognized Tuesday for their noteworthy work in the last quarter of 2016.

Because he has the most experience of anyone on his shift, Deputy of the Quarter James Greene has become a leader out on patrol in the Daytona/Ormond areas. In recent months, he’s been instrumental in solving rashes of car breaks and stolen vehicles and apprehending fleeing drivers. In one case, he recovered a stolen vehicle that contained a high-capacity rifle, tactical gear, masks, flex cuffs and several other items resembling police equipment. Because of his experience on patrol, he has deep knowledge of both the citizens and the frequent offenders in the area where he works – and an ability to make quick arrests in cases that might otherwise go unsolved. “Deputy Greene’s effective policing and pride in his work not only display his commitment to the community he serves, but also reflect well on the agency as a whole,” Sgt. Jason Hattaway wrote.

On the investigative side, Detective of the Quarter Roy Galarza was recognized for his work identifying the members of a ring responsible for a rash of thefts from businesses in the DeLand/DeLeon Springs area. Two of the suspects were also responsible for ramming a stolen truck through two convenience stores, then setting it on fire. They’d also used a shotgun to blast their way into the businesses. Galarza’s tireless work interviewing victims and witnesses and reviewing area surveillance footage led to the suspects – and took him deep into some woods, where he and his sergeant found a large garbage can full of stolen Florida Lottery tickets. His work put a stop to the theft ring, which was branching out into the Deltona and DeBary areas.

When VCSO K-9 Forest was fatally wounded during an incident in November, Telecommunicator of the Quarter Breck Sanders was the original dispatcher on the call. He should have been home at the time, but he’d stayed late to help out because the shift was short-staffed. “Breck is a newer dispatcher, but he handled the call like a seasoned vet,” Telecommunicator Jennifer Clay wrote. He worked that call until he was told he had to leave, because he’d worked 18 hours. “Others can look at his actions proudly, watching him handle a call that all dispatchers fear most, without flinching,” Telecommunicator Kelley Ferrer wrote.

Civilian Employee of the Quarter Linda Seibel, with her more than 25 years at the VCSO, has served in many roles. One of her latest duties is entering traffic ticket information for deputies in Deltona. In the two years she has been assigned this role, Seibel has entered more than 19,000 tickets with no errors. “That must be some sort of record in itself,” Deltona district office manager Kathy Burnsed wrote. “She will accept any task that is assigned and complete it with a smile, on time, and without mistakes. She is not afraid to make decisions, or ask questions if needed. As a manager, I could not ask for a better employee.”

The time requirement for VCSO volunteers is 120 hours a year. Volunteer of the Quarter Max Landau put in 537 hours in 2016, including 134 in the fourth quarter alone. He took over as the Citizen Observer Program director in Southeast Volusia in the spring and was unanimously elected to continue in 2017. He developed a C.O.P. Base Operations manual that he continues to adjust to help members of the program work together as efficiently as possible.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood recognized the honorees and thanked them for their service during a brief ceremony Tuesday morning at the VCSO’s Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center. The Sheriff’s Office congratulates Greene, Galarza, Sanders, Seibel and Landau and sincerely appreciates their efforts.