Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer Honored
February 1, 2006
Contact Henry Cabbage (850) 528-1755
The Shikar–Safari Club International has honored Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer Grant Burton as its Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2005.
The annual award from the conservation-based organization honors the officer whose efforts during the previous year show outstanding performance and achievement among the state agency’s 700-plus sworn law enforcement personnel. His selection by the Shikar-Safari Club is for his dedication, professionalism, effectiveness and personal demeanor with the public and his coworkers.
Burton patrols Manatee and Sarasota counties.
“Officer Burton’s exemplary leadership skills underscore the traits our agency prides in its officers,” said Lt. Rob Gerkin, an FWC law enforcement supervisor and Burton’s boss in Sarasota County.
Since becoming an FWC officer in December 2001, Burton has distinguished himself by becoming a select member of the FWC’s Special Operations Group. In addition to regular duties, members of the elite force train for specialized search-and-rescue operations and homeland security details. Burton is also a field-training officer, responsible for training and evaluating new officers.
The officer has earned recognition for life-saving efforts involving boaters, law enforcement officers from other agencies and even a movie theater customer. The five-year agency veteran spends the majority of his time on the water, and has made a number of significant illegal netting cases during his tenure. Because of his ingenuity, skill and perseverance in working net limitation details, his supervisors credit Burton with fostering a high compliance rate among the area’s commercial net fishermen.
Retrieved June 13, 2006 http://www.floridaconservation.org/whatsnew/06/statewide/shikar-burton.html