LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Housing and Urban Development Officer

JSO established a unit consisting of police officers and a sergeant to work directly with housing managed under the Federal Housing and Urban Development Department. The new team was formed to promote police and community relations, liaison between JSO and community organizations; conduct criminal investigations and address a variety of civil or criminal activities.  The team placed a strong emphasis on community-oriented policing techniques.

Mobile Field Force Officer

She worked to support the agency’s police officers during periods of civil unrest by disrupting and dispersing unruly crowds by identifying and arresting leaders of crowds that met the criteria for arrest.

Burglary Detective

She evaluated burglary reports to determine if there were potential leads or viable evidence such as fingerprints, eyewitnesses or other evidence. She was also responsible for interviewing witnesses and victims and conducting follow-up investigations.

Detective / Police Academy Background Investigator

She evaluated potential candidates for the police academy. Her job was to review research and data, as well as to interview previous employers, associates, family members and other associates familiar with the candidate. She gathered information on candidates to determine if they should by hired by JSO.

Police Sergeant

She was a first-line supervisor to patrol and traffic officers. She supervised these officers to ensure they handled calls for service; investigations, crime prevention services and fostered relationships between JSO and the community.

Operations Safe Streets Sergeant

Operation Safe Streets was an intelligence lead problem solving initiative that addressed crime in high-crime areas. The program was designed to prevent violence and drug-related crime in targeted geographic area. Burton supervised and assigned officers to specific tasks such as clearing drug crime locations, cracking down on drug sellers and coordinating with the narcotics unit to identify houses used for illegal drug activity. The team also fostered positive interactions between the police and citizens.

School Resource Officer Sergeant

Burton was the first-line supervisor for SRO’s assigned to various middle and high schools. Her responsibilities included:

• ensuring officers served as the main security arm at their schools
• ensuring officers implemented school safety plans
• approving investigations and, when necessary, the arrest of persons committing criminal act on school grounds
• coordinating with the school principals and staff to development and implement additional school safety protocols
• supervising advanced safety functions such as special events where staffing additional officers is a concern
• liaison with the NAACP Education Committee

Field Training Unit Sergeant

Her responsibilities included overseeing a team of field training officers in the patrol division. Her duties also included ensuring the FTU officers adhered to all policies and procedures of the unit and agency. In addition, she evaluated each police recruit and community service officer to ensure they meet the requirements of the program in order to advance to the next level.

Community Service Officer – Police Auxiliary Section

She was responsible for the management of all sworn auxiliary law enforcement officers, who are volunteer members performing law enforcement duties suitable to their level of training, such as patrol and traffic-related functions.

Emergency Preparedness Unit

She served in a unit that provides support to JSO’s Incident Command Structure for planned events and unplanned incidents (incidents hurricanes, bomb threats, missing persons, SWAT call outs). The unit also oversees ICS training.

Police Lieutenant

Burton managed a team of patrol sergeants, patrol officers and support staff in the day-to-day crime investigations, crime suppression and community building relationships in the zone. Her responsibilities included assigning officers to areas of responsibilities or beats, conducting investigations of officers and sergeants for various policy infractions such as citizen complaints. She was responsible for studying crime patterns and trends in the zone, and for conducting investigations and operations to address criminal activity. She was also responsible for building relationships between the police, citizens and area businesses.

Administrative Lieutenant

She was the commanding officer for various units in a patrol zone. These units included:

• Community Problem Response Unit –  deploys in violent crime hot spots as identified by JSO’s Crime Analysis Unit
• Auto Burglary Task Force –  a unit tasked with preventing and apprehending persons involved with breaking into cars
• Traffic Unit –  a unit responsible for traffic enforcement functions emphasizing enforcement of accident causing violations during high accident hours and at high frequency crash locations
• New Town Officers – this unit provided specialized police services within The New Town Success Zone. These services included patrolling the area, responding to calls for service, investigating acts of violence and criminal activity as well as focusing on developing relationships with citizens in the community and students on the campus.
• Community Response Team – this team addressed patterns of crimes such as robberies, car and home burglaries and other violent crimes. Burton developed and planned deployment operations and analyzed crime patterns in collaborative with the zone commander to determine the best method to address these crimes. Her team worked closely with gang members and their families.
• Sub-Station Admin Lieutenant – She was responsible for the police and civilian personnel working in the sub-station.

Executive Director of the Police Athletic League (PAL)

Burton was responsible for all administrative duties, public relations, correspondence, day-to-day operations and finances. She was responsible for the overseeing of the maintenance of PAL equipment, facilities and its fleet. She was the liaison between the Sheriff’s Office and the Board of Directors, providing supervision of all PAL staff, assigned JSO personnel, programs and special program assistants. She was responsible for implementing and monitoring strategies and initiatives for all fundraising activities, including prospect research, cultivation, major gifts, as well as corporate, foundation and government grant applications.

Assistant Chief over the Community Engagement Section

She was the administrator of the following units:

• Crime Prevention Unit –  Burton oversaw crime prevention programs designed to deter crime through citizen education, safety programs, community partnerships, and proactive intervention.  She was also responsible for the administration of the Police Explorer Program, as well as the supervision and training of school crossing guards. This unit is responsible for the oversight, facilitation and implementation of over 45 programs and special events combined annually.

• Blight Abatement Unit –  facilitated the reduction of people-induced and property blight locations in coordination with the city, government, businesses, and citizens.
• Community Engagement Interagency Unit (JEA and Public Works Investigative) –  provides investigative support services acting as a liaison to JEA and Public Works
• International Affairs Unit –  continuously builds trust between JSO and the non-English speaking communities, through contacts, education, and investigations.
• Police Athletic League –  enriches the lives of children by creating positive relationships between law enforcement officers and the youth of our community through educational, athletic, and leadership programs.
• Tele Serve Unit – performs as a force multiplier as a support role to patrol functions and services.
• Sheriff’s Watch Programs –  provides a framework for a coordinated efforts among all parties, to engage apartment residents and management with JSO to create residential communities committed to safety and the prevention of crime.

Zone Commander

Burton is responsible for ensuring commanding officers, supervisors and officers under her command perform their patrol function by responding to calls, proactively inspecting areas to suppress criminal activity, enforcing traffic laws, and fostering partnerships with citizens using the principles of community-oriented policing. She is also responsible for ensuring all personnel under my command adhere to all agency policies and procedures and when necessary, administer disciplinary actions in accordance with policy.