For Immediate Release

Date: Oct. 15, 2003

Board Honors Jackson County for Marine Enforcement

The Oregon State Marine Board honored the Jackson County Sheriffs Department Marine Patrol program and staff with several prestigious awards for service during the 2003 boating season. The awards were announced during an annual meeting in Bend on October 1.

"Jackson County really excelled this year, providing a strong program on a number of fronts and serving boaters extremely well,” said Bill Rydblom, Law Enforcement Program Manager for the Marine Board. "This program is really an example for the rest of the state. They do an excellent job."

The program was honored with the 2003 Marine Program of the Year award, said Rydblom. “Not only that, but Deputy Tom Turk received the Marine Officer of the Year award – his third in his career - and Deputy James Gyllenskog received the 2003 BUII Enforcement Award and the 2003 Rookie of the Year award. This program has some excellent talent and we look forward to seeing this program continue to serve boaters in the future.”

Dep. Gyllenskog’s BUII Enforcement Award was for his 21 “Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants” arrests during the boating season. “Alcohol is involved in up to half of all boating accidents, so we train our marine officers to identify intoxicated operators and get them off the water,” said Rydblom. “Gyllenskog continues the Jackson County tradition of being particularly effective at this. His ability here and in other aspects of marine law enforcement earned him the Rookie of the Year award, too.”

Other awards given by the board included: 2003 Marine Program of the Year – Seasonal Program, Benton County; Marine Theft Award, Deputy Doug Olson, Clackamas County; Program Manager of the Year, Sgt. Tim Steele, Marion County; Most Improved Program, Coos County; School Education Award, Marion County.

In addition, Life Saver Awards were given to Deputy Scott McDowell, Multnomah County; Dep. Paul Fournier, Tillamook County; Ruben Descloux and Josh Walker, Netarts-Oceanside Volunteer Fire Dept.; Deputies Den Bender and Tim Allinson, Polk County; and Deputies Sam Forney and Jerry Saltos, Crook County.

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