The Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association (FPAA) has chosen Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw as this year’s recipient of the Criminal Justice Leadership Award.

The Criminal Justice Leadership Award was created in 1998.  Since the awards inception it has only been presented to one other recipient in 2002. FPAA is a non-profit corporation comprised of the twenty elected State Attorneys (the Board) and the over 1900 Assistant State Attorneys. The primary purpose of the Association is education through seminars, written materials and electronic media.

Sheriff Bradshaw, a career law enforcement professional, is responsible for leading the largest law enforcement agency in Palm Beach County.  He has a successful track record of over forty (40) years in law enforcement.  He rose through the ranks of the West Palm Beach Police Department.  In 1996 he was appointed as Chief of Police.  January 4, 2005, Sheriff Bradshaw was sworn in as Sheriff of Palm Beach County.  Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is comprised of approximately 4000 employees.   

Sheriff Bradshaw is the chairman of the Florida Sheriff’s Emergency Task Force for Region 7, a member of the Executive Board for the FBI’s Terrorist Task Force, Executive Board Chairman of Florida’s Regional Domestic Security Task Force for Region 7, vice-chair of Florida’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, a member of the statewide Medicaid and Public Assistance Fraud Strike Force and the new co-chair of Florida’s Prescription Drug Trafficking Task Force for South Florida. 

Over the past three years, Sheriff Bradshaw has been instrumental in the creation of the Palm Beach County Multi-Agency Sexual Predator Unit, the Prescription Drug Diversion Task Force, The Multi-Agency Public Corruption Task Force and the Multi-Agency Gang Unit.  All of these enforcement initiatives have been used by other entities in the state as models for cooperation and results.    

Sheriff Bradshaw has made ongoing and significant contributions to Florida through his statewide leadership and commitment to public safety. 

The FPAA Leadership Award will be presented to Sheriff Bradshaw at an awards luncheon on August 8, 2011 in Naples, Florida.