The Florida Sheriffs Association is honored to announce that Detective Doris Tracey of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office has been selected as the 2021 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. The award, which is proudly sponsored by SaferWatch, is presented each year at the FSA Summer Conference to commend an officer who has shown bravery, service, and honor in the line of duty.

Detective Doris Tracey has been recognized for her commitment to being a well-rounded and accomplished law enforcement officer. She has worked for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office since November 2013. As a deputy, she served in patrol and school resource divisions, and is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division as a detective. Prior to her employment with the agency, she also served as a police officer with the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

Throughout Detective Tracey’s career as an officer, she has excelled at strong community engagement. As a school resource deputy, she actively engaged new ideas and innovative projects, she serves as a swimming instructor, and has held the lead role in the agency’s Special Olympics endeavors for several years. She is highly respected and valued by her peers, supervisors, community members, school administrators and staff. Detective Tracey is known for her magnetic personality and is not afraid of new challenges.

Tracey’s skills do not stop there. This past summer, she found herself in a deadly incident that put all of her law enforcement skills and training to the test.

On July 6, 2020, around 12:30 p.m., Detective Tracey was performing a school security check at Southport Middle School, Port St. Lucie, when she heard on her police radio that Port St. Lucie Police were responding to a shooting call on Morningside Boulevard. Being close to the address, she responded to the scene to assist.

As she arrived on scene, she saw a Port St. Lucie police officer approach the residence on Morningside Boulevard. A barrage of gunfire could be heard outside the residence. Additional Port St. Lucie police officers started up the stairs and were met with gunfire.

The officers and Detective Tracey returned gunfire and got into a battle with the suspect who was in the upstairs bedroom. During the exchange, one officer was shot in the arm. Detective Tracey and the remaining officer continued to engage the suspect so the injured officer could be safely removed from the residence. Suddenly, a young girl ran down the stairwell. Detective Tracey was able to grab the girl who was injured and shield her from further attack. Detective Tracey carried the girl to a nearby patrol vehicle and continued to render first aid until paramedics arrived and took over.

“Throughout this entire ordeal, Detective Tracey was very courageous as she risked her life to stop an active shooter, returned gunfire so a fellow officer could be removed from harm’s way, saved lives of those trapped inside the house with the suspect, and rendered first aid to one of the victims,” says St. Lucie County Sherriff Ken Mascara.

“The actions of Detective Tracey on that day were truly heroic, but it is not for that reason alone she was nominated for this extraordinary award,” said Geno Roefaro, President of SaferWatch. “Detective Tracey embodies the very best of the law enforcement profession…humility, service towards others, honor and courage.”

Due to her heroic actions and exemplifying the highest qualities of the law enforcement profession, she is being recognized as the Florida Sheriffs Association’s 2021 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

For more information on this achievement, watch the official video below.

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Florida Sheriffs Association:
The Florida Sheriffs Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation made up of the Sheriffs of Florida, approximately 3,500 business leaders and 90,000 citizens throughout the state. Founded in 1893, FSA has steadfastly served the citizens of Florida by supporting the needs of the state's law enforcement community. Through the Florida Sheriffs Association, Sheriffs are given a forum to address lawmakers to push for positive changes in Florida’s public safety arena. FSA also provides Sheriffs' Offices much-needed programs such as affordable training, special task forces and legislative and legal services. Dedicated to the prevention of juvenile delinquency and the development of lawful, productive citizens, FSA has established and funded the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches with facilities throughout the state to help restore hope, fulfill dreams, and prepare boys and girls for the future. It has grown to be one of the largest and most successful state law enforcement associations in the nation. For more information on the Florida Sheriffs Association, visit www.flsheriffs.org.

About SaferWatch: 
SaferWatch is a national leader in school safety and community engagement. SaferWatch's cutting-edge technology helps to directly connect the citizens, employees and students with law enforcement, first responders and security teams in a seamless and user-friendly way. The SaferWatch Platform provides a higher level of safety for individuals and organizations, including schools, corporations, entertainment venues, hospitals, neighborhoods, and communities. Through the SaferWatch app, users can report tips, non-emergencies and emergencies directly to 911 and onsite security resources. The SaferWatch app also enables two-way communication, allowing authorities to send out real-time alerts and notifications for emergencies in the area. Through partnerships with law enforcement agencies around the country, SaferWatch has been responsible for saving dozens of lives, preventing crime and mitigating emergency situations. Learn more how you can implement SaferWatch for your organization at: SaferWatchApp.com