Four MCSO Employees Receive Annual Awards

The following awards were presented Friday at the Sheriffs Office annual luncheon:

• Deputy of the Year - DETECTIVE SALVATORE LEVITA (15 years - Criminal  Investigations-Persons) - For his quick and appropriate actions when a co-worker's teenage son went into a seizure during a Halloween party after experiencing a head injury earlier in the day (October 31, 2011).

• Employee of the Year - CHRISTIAN ROJAS (9 years - Fingerprint Examiner) -  For his expertise in lifting and transferring fingerprints of a decomposed body and submitting them for analysis, which resulted in an identification (November 14, 2011).

• Beall's Humanitarian- DEPUTY DANIEL WHIDDEN (22 years - Patrol North)-  For his continuous support of students and his work to benefit the athletes through the Palmetto High School football program, including uniform upkeep, facilities and field maintenance and coaching (200B-present).

• Robert Molter Memorial Volunteer- RESERVE DEPUTY THOMAS DeROUEN  (3 years - Reserve Deputy) - For 3,654 volunteer hours in assignments including patrol, traffic and aviation, while also working 'full-time as an air traffic controller at Sarasota-Bradenton Airport (December 2008-present).