Agent Spadafora was awarded as the 2014 PoliceOne.com National Rise Award recipient in the “Protect Life” category prestigious recognition for his amazing dedication to fighting child exploitation. As part of the Internet Crimes Against Children’s (ICAC) Task Force and the Brevard Child Exploitation Task Force, Agent Spadafora goes undercover to identify sexual predators, bring them to justice, and save underage victims from sexual and physical abuse. His unique skillset has put horrific monsters behind bars and ensured the safety of children around the world. (BCSO image)
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — We are extremely proud to announce that our Brevard County Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year and the Brevard County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Agent Michael Spadafora, has been selected as the 2014 PoliceOne.com National Rise Award recipient in the “Protect Life” category.
Agent Spadafora was awarded this prestigious recognition for his amazing dedication to fighting child exploitation.
As part of the Internet Crimes Against Children’s (ICAC) Task Force and the Brevard Child Exploitation Task Force, Agent Spadafora goes undercover to identify sexual predators, bring them to justice, and save underage victims from sexual and physical abuse. His unique skillset has put horrific monsters behind bars and ensured the safety of children around the world.
TASER and PoliceOne are very pleased to announce the winners of the first ever RISE Awards: Agent Mike Spadafora (Protect Life Award), Sgt. Christopher Gavette (Police Leadership Award), and the Lakewood (Wash.) Police Department (Agency Achievement Award).
Doug Wyllie
PoliceOne.com Editor and Chief Doug Wyllie said, “We were floored by the response to the Awards, which struck a chord with a law enforcement audience tired of reading negative news about their profession. We received more than 150 qualified nominations highlighting outstanding officers and agencies nationwide, each representing heroic achievement and worthy of commendation.”
PoliceOne.com advised, “The RISE Awards exist to shine a much-deserved light on the countless positive stories within law enforcement across North America.
Officers go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis with little-to-no recognition, and this award program gave us the opportunity to feature a few incredible agencies – big and small – for their continued efforts to make their communities safer and to grow trust in law enforcement at a time when it’s needed most.”
Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated “Mike is an incredible Law Enforcement Officer and is part of an incredible Unit that hunts down those who prey upon our children.
Mike, his fellow agents and prosecutors are truly on the front lines protecting our most precious citizens! Thank you Mike, you are very deserving of this outstanding recognition!”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey has been a law enforcement officer for over three decades. Sheriff Ivey is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has a Bachelor’s Degree from Daytona State College in Management and Supervision. Sheriff Ivey’s background in law enforcement is inclusive of Management, Criminal Investigations, Narcotics, Patrol Services, Public Integrity Investigations, and Corrections.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey
Prior to being elected in 2012, Sheriff Ivey served the citizens of the State of Florida as a Resident Agent in Charge for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. As a member of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Sheriff Ivey developed and created the country’s first ever statewide Task Force on Identity Theft. That same year the Task Force was named one of the top five most innovative programs in the country by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and investigated approximately 44 million dollars in fraud cases. Additionally, as a member of FDLE, Sheriff Ivey created the Child Abduction Response Team (C.A.R.T) that re-defined the way Child Abduction cases are conducted throughout the country today. The program was later selected as the most innovative program in the country by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and is now used as a nationwide model in the response and investigation of child abductions.
Sheriff Ivey has testified before the United States Congress on law enforcement related matters and has extensive experience in the area of Public Integrity Investigations. Sheriff Ivey was honored as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Special Agent of the Year (1996) and was also recognized by the Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for his Outstanding Contributions to Criminal Justice. In August of 2011 Sheriff Ivey was honored by the National Organization of Victims Advocacy for his work at the national level as an advocate of victim’s rights and protection.
Sheriff Ivey speaks regularly on topics such as Identity Theft, Crime in America, Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence, and Self Defense through Mental Preparedness. Sheriff Ivey firmly believes that Crime Prevention and Education are vital to reduce our crime rate and protect our community.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated “Mike is an incredible Law Enforcement Officer and is part of an incredible Unit that hunts down those who prey upon our children.
