AJOBWELLDONE—Parolestaff,including16PEFmembers, poseforagroupshotinAlbanyafterreceivingcertificatesfor
extraordinarycontributionstotheagency. — Photo by Heather Groll
Parole Officers honored
for innovative and heroic acts
By DEBORAH A. MILES officer 2, for willingly working when preventing an assault.
More than a dozen PEF members who needed during staff shortages. Roper provided key information to the
work at the state Division of Parole were Another Rooney award went to parole hostage negotiator when a parolee
among those honored in November by the officer Michael Valente for his vigilance in threatened to blow-up an apartment
division’s chairwoman and CEO, Andrea pursuing an investigation in the Rochester building in the South Bronx. Roper helped
H. Evans, for their extraordinary area where his efforts saved a police get the parolee to release the hostages and
contributions to the agency. officer’s life and brought a murderer to surrender without incident.
These awards are special because the justice. Maher and Hodson, officers in PEF
recipients were nominated by their peers. The last Rooney award went to Teresa Region 3, received the award for their
Parole officers know their jobs entail Eisenhauer, an Auburn area parole officer, heroic actions when they spotted,
danger. But when one faces a potentially who went beyond the call of duty when disarmed and arrested a man who was
deadly situation or raises the bar to help she talked to an injured parolee for more threatening a woman with a large knife.
increase public safety, it doesn’t go than four hours, convincing him to And Miller was honored for recognizing
unnoticed. cooperate with police in identifying who a fleeing bank robber in Binghamton,
The awards are not just for the officers stabbed him. The parolee was in the confronting the man, and holding him
who work on the streets and put their lives hospital, in critical condition and faced until police arrived and took him into
on the line each day. The division, as a becoming a quadriplegic. custody.
whole, relies on a broad spectrum of A downstate parole officer, Kevin Parole officers who made headlines in
individuals who are responsible for O’Connor, received the Linda Mills March 2009 for stopping a parolee from
keeping the agency running smoothly and Memorial Award for Re-Entry Services. stabbing another parole officer, were the
efficiently. O’Connor is known for obtaining recipients of the Barry Sutherland
One example is Brian Dott, an appropriate housing and adjunct services Memorial Award for Public Protection.
information technology specialist 4 from for very difficult-to-place parolees. He was The incident occurred when Darcy
the Albany area, who received the IT recognized for making a significant Ames-Sledge noticed a parolee fidgeting
Operations Award for his innovative difference in many ex-offenders’ lives, with his knapsack at the Queens Parole
program to reduce paper consumption. He enabling them to succeed in their Office. When she approached him, he
saved the division an estimated $100,000 communities. grabbed her and pulled a knife, according
each year. Awards also went to parole officers who to the dozens of witnesses. While Ames-
A facility parole officer 1, Jacqueline found themselves in demanding situations Sledge struggled to free herself, Barry
Donohue of Geneseo, was one of the where training and experience paid off, Davis and Dellree Williams ordered the
recipients of the Brian Rooney Memorial along with quick thinking and fast acting. parolee to drop the knife, several times.
Award for Meritorious Service. She Agency Awards for Valor went to The parolee failed to comply, and the
brought facilities into compliance with Anthony Myers, George Roper, Brian officers shot and killed him.
DNA test standards and also helped Maher, Robert Hodson and Daniel Miller. PEF Division 236 also honored these
parolees successfully complete the parole Myers saw and apprehended a three officers at a separate event, for their
supervision program. registered sex offender who was following bravery and professionalism.
The award also was given to Kim a female in a desolate area. Myers was
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Lakeview, a facility parole honored for his acute attentiveness in
TheCommunicatorMarch2010—Page11
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