DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

FALL-WINTER HIGHLIGHTS

Volume 17 Number 01

Behind The

BADGE

Christmas in the Community

DSO Graduation

Quarterly Awards

Special Resolutions

Jonathan’s Place Do-nation

VIN Etching

New Bailiffs

Retirements

Deputy Rolando Salas

State Flag Presenta-tion

Announcements

FROM THE SHERIFF

Antique Auction

Stay Informed:

Dallas.Sheriff.Dept

@dallas_sheriff

www.dallas-sheriff.com

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER

2016 was a great year for the Sheriff’s Department. Our department saw the

addition of new employees as well as some promotions for current employ-

ees. We celebrated with long-term employees on their retirements. Our de-

partment also mourned the loss of our current and retired employees that un-

expectedly passed away. We concluded 2016 by successfully partnering with

T.O.R.I. to provide gifts for 200 families at our Christmas in the Community

event. At the beginning of 2017, our department recognized over 200 em-

ployees for their years of service, promotions, and meritorious conduct in

2016. As I always say, the Sheriff’s Department has the best employees. We

enjoy honoring your contributions through the quarterly awards ceremony.

The next awards ceremony is tentatively set for April 2017. I look forward to

all the events to come and anticipate 2017 being another successful year for

the Sheriff’s Department.

The Dallas County Tax Assessor, John Ames, along with his staff and repre-

sentatives from Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson stopped by on January

18th to preview an antique auction being overseen by the Dallas County

Sheriff's Civil-Writ Enforcement Section. The Sheriff's Department works

closely with the Tax Office to manage the seizure and sale of property on be-

half of Dallas County. The auction featured most of the property inside an

antique store and netted $25,228.00.

Christmas in the Community

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 2

On Saturday, December 17, 2016, the Dallas County Sheriff's Department held our annual Sheriff's

Christmas in the Community event. The Sheriff's Department partnered with T.O.R.I. (Texas Offenders

Reentry Initiative) to provide gifts for 200 children on behalf of their incarcerated parents and grandpar-

ents. This year's event was held at DART Police Headquarters in Dallas. Attendees played games, had

their face painted, and were also treated to food. A special program featured brief speeches from the

Sheriff Valdez, T.O.R.I., DART, and guest speaker Chris Arnold from the Dallas Mavericks organization.

Santa Claus also made a special appearance and took photos with attendees.

DSO Graduation

Congratulations to Detention Service Officer Class 297 that graduated on November 18,

2016. 20 new officers were welcomed to the department after completing a four-week

basic correctional officer course.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 3

Jonathan’s Place Christmas Donation

In December, the Sheriff’s Department delivered repaired bicycles and new helmets to Jonathan’s Place,

a shelter for neglected and abused children in Dallas. The bikes were donated to us by Bike Mart in Rich-

ardson. Trek also made an $800 contribution for new helmets! The bikes were needed and the shelter

was very happy to receive them! We have offered to repair the donated items in our bike program, which

is part of the Inmate Programs division. The officers in the pictures are DSO John Richardson and DSO

Roy Love both with Inmate Programs. Thank you to Bike Mart and Trek for helping us bring these special

presents to Jonathan’s Place! Special thanks to Chief Blaise Mikulewicz who helped connect the Sheriff’s

Department with Trek and Richardson Bike Mart.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 4

VIN Etching

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 5

The North Texas Auto Theft Task Force (NTATTF) held a VIN etching on November 16, 2016 at Henry

Wade Juvenile Justice Center. VIN etching is the process of acid stenciling your vehicle’s 17-digit iden-

tification number onto the window glass of the vehicle. By having the identification number placed on

additional parts of your vehicle, thieves who might want to change the identity will be deterred know-

ing they will also have to change out all the windows in addition to the dashboard VIN plate. This is an

investment most thieves will not make. Thank you to NTATTF for performing this service free of charge

and helping deter car theft.

Lt. Michelle Washington Resolution

Lt. Michelle Washington was named Law Enforcement Employee of the Year for Dallas County on Decem-

ber 20, 2016 in Commissioners Court. Congratulations Lt. Washington and thank you for all of your hard

work.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 6

Captain David Mitchell Resolution

Captain David Mitchell of the North Texas Auto Theft Task Force was recognized on January 17, 2017 in

Commissioners Court for his 30 years of service to the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. Captain Mitchell

retired from our department at the end of January. Thank you to Commissioner Theresa Daniel for sponsor-

ing this Court resolution. Congratulations to Captain Mitchell on this special recognition and we thank him

for his many years of exemplary service to the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 7

State Flag Presentation

Prior to the 77th Legislature, state law did not provide for the presentation of the state flag to the family of

a deceased peace officer. House Bill 815 amended the Government Code to provide that the next of kin of

a deceased Texas peace officer may receive on request a state flag from the Commission on Law Enforce-

ment Officer Standards and Education (TCOLE). Sheriff Valdez presented the state flag of Texas to the

families of Sr. Sgt. Benjamin Lancaster Jr., Deputy William S. Dittman, and Deputy Rolando Salas on Janu-

ary 30, 2017 to honor the service of these esteemed Sheriff’s Department peace officers.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 8

Swearing-In of New Bailiffs

Sheriff Valdez welcomed two new bailiffs, Jeff Troutman (former Dallas County Sheriff’s Deputy and City of

Coppell Police Officer) and William Travis (Former Denton County Sheriff), on January 31, 2017.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 9

New ASC Facility in Desoto

Sheriff Valdez and representatives from the Sheriff's Department participated in the ribbon cutting and grand

opening of Dallas County's new Automotive Service Center on January 10, 2017. This new facility is located in

Desoto and sits on 4.7 acres covering 10,400 square feet. There are seven service bays, office and storage

space, a car wash and fueling station. The Sheriff's Department and other Dallas County departments will ser-

vice their county vehicles at this facility.

Downed Officer Kit Donation

The Dallas County Sheriff's Department would like to thank Resource One Credit Union for donating 200

tactical medical kits. Resource One presented the kits on December 12, 2016 at their branch in Mesquite.

The kits contain life saving equipment such as tourniquets, bandages, and surgical tape. They will be uti-

lized by the officers in our traffic and warrant divisions.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 10

Quarterly Awards Ceremony

The Sheriff’s Department honored over 200 employees at its quarterly awards ceremony on January 27, 2017.

Employees were recognized for years of service, promotions, and meritorious conduct. The Green County

Sheriff’s Department and a number of Sheriff’s Department officers were recognized for their response after the

July 7, 2016 shootings that killed one DART officer and four Dallas Police officers. Captain David Mitchell was

also recognized for chairing the awards ceremony the last three years. Congratulations to all of the award recip-

ients and we thank you for your continued service to the Sheriff’s Department.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 11

Vault Program– Managing with Metrics

The Vault Department recently started an employee recognition program in order to recognize superior performance.

Dorothea Simon, the Vault Manager, and the three Vault Supervisors started the program by first identifying key per-

formance metrics. The key areas of performance focus are: Cash & Property errors, Safety accidents, and Inmate

complaints. Issues are tracked as they occur with the goal of identifying what happened and taking necessary steps

to prevent the issue from happening again. Dorothea Simon mentioned she is happy with the progress the depart-

ment is showing. She communicated to employees that a pizza lunch at the end of calendar Q1 2017 is dependent

upon a consecutive three months of no incidents for all categories.

The 4th Quarter 2016 award winners recognized for going beyond the call of duty were Pamela Nixon, Samuel Zacha-

ria, and Ashleigh Williams. All three were presented a Sheriff’s Office stocking cap as an award winner and given a

certificate of achievement award signed by Executive Chief Deputy Jessie Flores.

Congratulations to the Vault Department for their efforts at improving department performance and recognizing

those employees who have gone beyond the call of duty.

Thailand Visitors

Our Inmate Programs Division hosted visitors from Thailand in October 2016. Due to large amounts of poppy farms

in Thailand, the product is sold to make heroin. This allows the drug to be readily available to children as young as

ten-years-old. Our Thailand guests came to observe re-entry programs because in their country “recovery programs”

do not exist. They work for the Narcotics Control Board and will provide a summary of their report to their govern-

ment. They visited the APAA (Association of Persons Affected by Addiction) recovery pod at the Kays Tower jail facili-

ty. Dr. Smith from APAA works in partnership with Dr. Calloway from UNT on the latest treatments and information on

substance abuse. Thank you to Inmate Programs Director Yolanda Lara Reyna and the APAA staff for hosting these

special visitors.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 12

Patricia Williams– 35 Years Strong

On Thursday February 2, 2017 DSO Patricia Williams (2nd Watch/North Tower Jail) celebrated 35 years

of employment with the Dallas County Sheriffs Department. She was thrilled and excited to be visited

by Chief Jesse Herrera, who also recently celebrated his 35th year. Both began their employment to-

gether and shared memories of their early years working together, while enjoying cake and ice cream.

Congratulations and best wishes to both!

FBI Academy

Sheriff’s Department graduates of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia gathered together for a group

photo on January 27, 2017. The FBI National Academy is a professional course of study for U.S. and international

law enforcement managers nominated by their agency heads because of demonstrated leadership qualities. The

10-week program serves to improve the administration of justice in police departments and agencies at home and

abroad and to raise law enforcement standards, knowledge, and cooperation worldwide.

From Right to left: Chief Deputy Jesse Herrera, Assistant Chief Deputy Jason Hartgraves, Assistant Chief Deputy

Patrick Bonner, Captain Don Rowe, Lieutenant Rufino Salas, Captain Shelia Carter-Bass, Captain Shelley Knight,

and Captain Christol Turner.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 13

Captain David Mitchell Retirement

The Sheriff’s Department would like to thank Captain David Mitchell for his 30 years of service. Captain

Mitchell retired on January 31, 2017 and received a retirement certificate from Sheriff Valdez as well

as a special gift from Chief Garza.

Career Day at Tosh Elementary

Detention Service Officers Garcia and Singleton from Inmate Programs took the Sheriff's Department

Hummer to Tosh Elementary School in Mesquite. The officers attended a career day for first graders.

The students loved getting inside the Hummer and talking with the officers. Thank you DSO Garcia and

DSO Singleton for representing the Sheriff's Department and spending time with these students.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 14

In Memory of Rolando Salas

Deputy Rolando Salas #487 passed away on November 27, 2016 at the age of 46. Deputy Salas was a 27-

year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department and was assigned to the Court Services section as a bailiff. He was

laid to rest on December 1, 2016 in Arlington. Deputy Salas is survived by his wife and two sons as well as

numerous family members including his brothers Roel and Rufino who are lieutenants with the Sheriff’s

Department. Thank you Deputy Salas for your service to the Sheriff’s Department.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 15

SAT Scholarship Recipient

Eric Murray Retirement

Detective Eric Murray (Criminal Investigation Section) retired from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department

with more than 23 years of service. A retirement party was held for Detective Murray in October. Sheriff

Valdez presented him with a special Sheriff’s star and his retirement certificate. Detective Murray also

received special recognition from the Criminal Investigation Section.

Kevin Warner Vance, son of Deputy Michael D. Vance (Bailiff/Court Services), is the recipient of a schol-

arship from the Sheriff’s Association of Texas. Kevin is studying Art Technology at University of Texas-

Dallas. Sheriff Valdez presented Kevin with the scholarship on December 19, 2016.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 16

BNSF Train Ride

Ed and Carmen Clark

Ed and Carmen Clark celebrated 49 years of marriage on November 18, 2016. They met while working

for the Eastman Kodak Processing plant in Honolulu, Hawaii. Supposedly it wasn’t love at first sight, but

instead 3rd or 4th sight! They are planning something special for their 50th celebration with family and

friends later this year. Ed has been with the Sheriff’s Department Photo Lab for 12 years and Carmen

marked 10 years working in the Vault this past December. Congratulations to Ed and Carmen!

Sheriff's Department employees including the Sheriff, executive staff, deputies, and detention service of-

ficers took part in a special event on October 25, 2016. The BNSF Railway hosted the Law Enforcement

Express and invited law enforcement personnel from across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Thank you to

BNSF for hosting this special event and acknowledging the law enforcement personnel in our area.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 17

Sheriff’s Department Merchandise

Square Bzness Engraved Handcuffs and Pens

Contact DSO Marcela McConnell at (917)-536-5634 or squarebzness@gmail.com if you are interested in

purchasing engraved handcuffs or pens. Smith & Wesson handcuffs laser engraved with one officer

name and badge number are $60. They are available in black melonite or nickel finish and have finger-

activated double-locks. This price is for new Smith & Wesson handcuffs only. The specialty pen is priced

at $20. It can be personalized with one officer name and badge number engraved. Any special engrav-

ing requests can also be addressed to DSO McConnell who will provide the pricing.

Volume 17 Number 01 Page 18

Healthy Living

Do Healthy Foods

Resemble the Body Parts

They Benefit?

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Amazing Health Facts

Tomatoes are a Super Food for the

heart and blood. And like the human

heart, the tomato is red and has four

chambers!

A shelled walnut looks like a brain,

with a left and right hemisphere,

upper cerebrums, lower cerebellums,

and even the wrinkles and folds of the

neo-cortex! We now know that

walnuts are great brain food.

Kidney beans were named thus

because they look so much like the

human organ, and they actually do

help heal the kidneys and maintain

their function!

A slice of carrot looks much like the pupil,

iris, and radiating lines of the human eye.

Of course, science has demonstrated that

carrots improve eye function.

Celery and rhubarb look just like bones,

and each helps bone strength. Bones are

23 percent sodium, and so are celery and

rhubarb! If you don’t have sodium in your

diet, the body pulls it from the bones, mak-

ing them weak. These foods replenish the

skeletal needs of the body!

Grapes hang in heart-shaped clusters

and look like blood cells. Research

today shows that grapes are indeed a

profound heart—and blood-vitalizing

food.

Volume 17 Number 01

Announcements

Dallas County Sheriff’s Department

133 N. Riverfront Blvd. LB-31

Dallas, Texas 75207-4313

Page 19

For submission of a newsletter item:

Sheriffmedia@dallascounty.org

Melinda.Urbina@dallascounty.org

For the latest updates:

www.dallas-sheriff.com

DEATHS

November 11, 2016 - Leroy Smith, the father of DSO

Beverly Brown-Martin (North Tower/2nd Watch)

passed away.

November 25, 2016– Birmond D. Turner, the grand-

father of Selma Littles (DMU Intake/1st Watch)

passed away.

November 27, 2016– Deputy Rolando Salas #487

passed away at the age of 46.

November 29, 2016- Lois Frances Wilson, the moth-

er of Deputy Jeff Wilson (Warrants Execution Section)

passed away.

December 8, 2016– Cynthia D. Echols, sister of DSO

Marcus Oatman (Release/2nd Watch) and sister-in-

law of DSO Sherri Oatman (North Tower/2nd Watch),

passed away.

December 13, 2016– Tenisha Burleson-Jones, for-

mer employee who previously worked in the Vault

section, passed away.

December 13, 2016- John Anthony Jones, the broth-

er of DSO Shelia Holman #6630 (Kays Tower/1st

Watch), passed away.

December 21, 2016– Chacko Kunjappy, the father

of DSO Thomas Kunjappy (Mailroom) passed away.

January 5, 2017– Eugene Wilson, a member of the

Sheriff’s Posse Unit, passed away.

January 6, 2017– Terry Vaughn, the brother of Depu-

ty Robert Vaughn #1016 (Livestock) passed away.

January 9, 2017– James Feaster, the father of DSO

Katrina Feaster (Gill-Hernandez/2nd Watch), passed

away.

January 15, 2017– Juanita Brown, the grandmother

of Shavonne Rabb (Vault Section/3rd Watch) passed

away at the age of 86.

January 20, 2017– Lula Thomas, the sister of

Cozella and Ida Hill, (DMU Section/2nd Watch)

passed away.

January 23, 2017– Oscar Lee Dunn Sr., the father

of DSO Tanedra Dunn (Central Intake/2nd Watch)

passed away.

January 24, 2017– Jessie Allen, the grandmother

of DSO Lisa Crane (Court Desk) passed away.

January 25, 2017– Jerry Prince Aven, the father of

Deputy Fary Lynn Aven (Bailiff/Court Services) and

the grandfather of Deputy Gary Daniel Aven

(Bailiff/Court Services), passed away.

January 29, 2017– Dorothy Wilson, the sister of

Gertrude Sommers (Vault Supervisor) passed

away.

January 29, 2017– Edith Lucille Praytor, the moth-

er of Carolyn “Sue” Praytor (Communications Tech-

nician) passed away.

Please remember to keep these families in your

prayers.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

October 26, 2016– DSO Marilyn Jirani (Detention

Support Services/Cook Chill) welcomed her baby

daughter Kaitleen Jirani at Medical City on October

26th.

December 12, 2016– Deputy Katrina Caldwell

(Traffic Division) and her husband Varrence Minor

welcomed their baby daughter Khari Ajaya Minor

on December 12th.

Congratulations to the parents on their blessed ar-

rivals!