Submitted by Chief James Hurley
Fernandina Beach Police Department
February 2, 2018 10:22 a.m.
On Friday, January 26, 2018, the city of Fernandina Beach recognized its finest,both in uniform and in the community, during the annual banquet at the Fernandina Beach Municipal Golf Course Clubhouse. Police Chief James Hurley said, “Our annual awards banquet is an opportunity for me to tell our police officers and support personnel how very proud I am of their dedication and hard work throughout the year. I respect what they do on a daily basis to keep our community safe and I want them to know, especially in light of recent criticism of law enforcement in general, that I admire them greatly and for good reason. I see the work they do every day and I can attest that our officers are consistently outstanding.”
2017 Officer of the Year: Chris Kopinski
Detective Kopinski has been the lead detective in the December 2016 murder of Thomas Clyde Erdman, 19 years of age. Erdman’s death occurred after an early morning argument turned into a violent confrontation outside a residence at 837 Tarpon Avenue. Even though this arrest was made within minutes of the offense occurring, the meticulous and time-consuming follow up work is still ongoing. Suffice to say, when major cases occur, especially a homicide case; the job of the investigator does not stop at the time of the arrest. The work continues for months, collecting evidence, conducting canvasses, obtaining witness statements, all in close coordination with the State Attorney’s Office, in order to assemble a strong case to present in court.
In addition to the outstanding preparation and complex work Detective Kopinski put in on the homicide case, he also handled a regular case load to include the recent arrest of a suspect who was working as a local handyman. The suspect routinely gained the trust of homeowners, before stealing and forging checks from the victims.
Detective Kopinski’s supervisor describes him as a very hard worker who keeps a steady pace, while typically staying under the radar. A local defense attorney recently described Detective Kopinski as a professional who understands the justice system and works hard to get to the truth in his assigned cases. His peers describe him as someone that never backs away from work and is always willing to help in any way he can.
2017 Civilian Employee of the year: Stephen Minahan
2017 Traffic Safety and DUI Enforcement Award: Officer Michael Mazuryk
Stephen Minahan was selected as the 2017 Civilian Employee of the Year. Steve was credited with being an essential resource during the Police Department purchase, integration, and implementation of the department’s body-worn camera project. Steve installed the retro kits in the vehicles to allow the 4RE in-car video systems to work with the new body cameras. He also managed to maintain the outdated DVD in-car video systems, some of which are still in use. He acquired old units that had been removed from vehicles taken out of service and used parts from these old units working until we can replace the few remaining systems with the new 4RE in-car system that supports the body worn camera product. He has also become a master at installing in-car printers and laptop mounts.
Steve worked with Motorola technicians to learn how to program the new Motorola radios. During our recent Radio upgrade he came in early and stayed late to make sure both day shift and night shift had their new or reprogrammed radios. The old radios were purchased in 2006 and were at end of life.
During both Hurricane Matthew and Irma, which occurred during the same fiscal year, he stayed at the police department to prepare the facility and assisted with logistics and communications. Once again Steve was able to prepare reports that generated Spotless FDLE Records, a perfect FDLE Technical review, and a flawless DHSMV D.A.V.I.D. Audit. This mandatory reporting is critical to our ability to function and goes a long way toward professional reputation, while meeting accreditation standards.
He serves as a liaison with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center, and recently sat on the oral board for the supervisor’s position. He provides most of the Crime Analysis function at the police department, either on a scheduled weekly or monthly basis, but primarily in the moment as cases develop.
Michael Mazuryk is an eight year veteran of the Fernandina Beach Police Department, having previously served with the NYPD. He was our 2011 Police Officer of the Year.
Officer Mazuryk has been a top DUI enforcer and traffic enforcement specialist for several years and recently became a certified inspector of the agency Intoxilyzer, an invaluable resource for our DUI enforcement efforts.
2017 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year: John Bertsch
As one of the founding members of the Police Auxiliary Corps (PAC) in 2008, John dove right into the establishment of the Jasmine-Citrona intersection school traffic team, along with Steve Filkoff and John Harris. John has spent more than 500 hours in the middle of that intersection, often substituting for another member that could not make their assignment. John was always conscious of the PAC having the best possible public image, and the thought of the detail going unmanned for any reason was abhorrent to him. In addition, John also performs traffic duties at Southside Elementary, as well as most other city events, as his schedule permits.
When the Police Auxiliary Corps Commander puts out an SOS for a substitute at any City event, it is very often John Bertsch who responds.
2017 Chaplain Don McFadyen Community Service Award: Janice Ancrum
Ms. Janice Ancrum, Executive Director of the Nassau County Council on Aging, was awarded the 2017 Chaplain Don McFadyen Community Service Award. Ms. Ancrum leads one of the most visible and vital programs in Nassau County.
The COA’s Mission is to enhance the lives of older adults through services and compassionate care designed to improve the health, independence and economic security of Nassau County seniors and their families. They provide targeted services that not only foster independence, but also help clients remain active, valued members of our community.
You can see evidence of their good work everywhere you look, from the distinctive COA NassauTransit buses that provide the only source of public transit in the county, to their very popular Meals on Wheels program, their Home Health Services, Adult Day Care, and Senior Life Centers.
The Fernandina Beach Police Department and our Police Auxiliary Corps are currently developing a new partnership with the COA to improve wellness checks and early intervention for our senior population.
Three new officers sworn in
Judge Robert Foster addressed the audience of police officers and supporters and thanked the officers for their dedicated and selfless service to the residents and visitors to Amelia Island. Judge Foster later administered the Oath of Office to three newly hired Police Officers, David Swanson, Stephen Moreno, and Michael Pensa. This traditional ceremony, coupled with the pinning of the police badge, was clearly one of the highlights of the evening.
Congratulations to the honored officers and their families. And welcome to the three new officers with thanks to all our public safety personnel for their dedication, hard work and sacrifices to provide for our safe community.