Sheriff's officers, civilians honored for service

Among those recognized were a deputy who helped a family in need after being robbed.

By CAMILLE C. SPENCER, Times Staff Writer
Published January 25, 2008

Last summer, Deputy Matthew Kadel stopped by a local restaurant to get some coffee and write his reports.

At Denny's, he met the Kneisleys, a hard-luck family from Louisiana whose belongings had been stolen while they were at Clearwater Beach. The family of four was getting by with donations. After hearing their plight, Kadel got the family medical care, prescriptions and toys.

For his kindness, Kadel earned the Quarterly Incentive Award for Law Enforcement during the Sheriff's Office's swearing-in ceremony on Thursday morning.

Others who received awards include:

- Cpl. Ronald Gardner, who led an effort to change jail inmate's footwear, saving the agency about $35,000.

- Regina Chimile, criminal analyst, who helped find the driver in a hit-and-run accident that injured a 16-year-old boy.

- The Sheriff's Special Service Award was given to civilians Michael Reynolds and Anthony Butta for jumping in to help an 89-year-old man being attacked in December at a gas station. After the victim wriggled free, the two men chased the robber and helped catch him. Charles Johnson also received the award for helping rescue three children during a house fire.

Receiving a Special Recognition Award were:

- Detective Timothy Harris, for his work in July on an elderly abuse and neglect case.

- Deputy Alan Wilkett, for his community policing work in San Antonio and St. Leo.

- And John Kerwin, school crossing guard at Pineview Elementary School in Land O'Lakes, for calling paramedics on behalf of a man having a heart attack.

The Meritorious Service Award for Accomplishment was given to five law enforcement officers for consistently good work: Cpl. Cliff Blum, for his work with mentally ill residents; Detective Mark Morrison, for his work in an exploitation of the elderly and grand theft case; Detectives Mark Ewald and Wayne Smith for creating the department's Sexual Offender/Predator Unit, which later merged with the Juvenile Investigations Unit; Pamela Meyer, for changing the jail inmates' uniforms, saving the department about $25,000 a year.

The Life-Saving Award was given to Detention Deputy William Mackenn for helping a woman get medical attention and staying with her children until another family member arrived. Sgt. William McVey also received the award for convincing a man not to commit suicide.

Camille C. Spencer can be reached at cspencer@sptimes.com or 727 869-6229.

[Last modified January 24, 2008, 21:58:00]