On Monday, September 13, 2010 Sergeant Larry Folsom was named the 2009-2010 Florida Missing Children’s Day Local Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. This award recognizes a local law enforcement officer for his or her exceptional or extraordinary efforts during a missing child investigation.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse’s Advisory Board selected Sgt. Folsom as this year’s award recipient based on his work in a 2009 missing persons investigation. The case originated in Denton County, Texas and involved an armed man taking his one year old son and fleeing the state. The man had no custodial rights to the child and was attempting to relocate and hide the child from his mother in Texas. An Amber Alert was issued by authorities in Texas and Sgt. Folsom responded to the area and established surveillance in an unmarked vehicle. At approximately 6:20 pm on October 14, 2009, Sgt. Folsom spotted the gray Dodge Magnum being driven by the suspect on Interstate 10. Sgt. Folsom directed additional units to the area and deputies were able to stop the vehicle, recovering the one year old child, unharmed.

Sheriff Larry Campbell said, “Sgt. Folsom did an outstanding job in this case. He put himself in the right place, formulated a good plan and then put it into action when the situation presented itself. It is employees like Sgt. Folsom that really make a difference.”

Sgt. Folsom was honored during a ceremony in the Capitol Plaza that was presided over by Governor Charlie Crist.

CONTACT:

James McQuaig, PIO, Phone: 850-922-0732