Polk County Deputy Jonathan Bowman Honored as FSA Corrections Officer of the Year

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For Immediate Release:

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Jan. 18, 2012) – The Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) is pleased to announce that Jonathan Bowman of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was the recipient of the 2012 Corrections Officer of the Year Award. This week at the FSA Mid-Winter Conference, FSA President and Sheriff Ben Johnson and Executive Director Steve Casey presented Bowman with the award. The distinguished deputy was recognized for his dedication to law enforcement and protection of the public.

Throughout his tenure as a detention deputy at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Bowman has continually exemplified care and courage while serving and protecting his community. On February 21, 2011, on his way back from a routine drop-off, Bowman and his partner noticed a 16-year-old girl standing at the edge of the Polk Parkway looking down at the train tracks below. Bowman pulled the vehicle over, and he and his partner went to assist the young woman. His partner, Detention Deputy Allan Avila, convinced her to step down from the ledge so that Deputy Bowman could use his Crisis Intervention Training to assess the risk, and get the young woman the help she needed. 

This is just a snapshot of the service Bowman has provided his community. In 2010, he raised $1,500 through a fundraising event he coordinated for the United Way. He is a committed family man, striving to be a role model to his two children, as well as the young men he mentors at his local church.

“Jon Bowman is an outstanding member of our Sheriff’s Office family,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.  “I am proud of his compassionate and committed service — we are so gratified that the Florida Sheriffs Association has chosen to honor him.”

Detention Deputy Bowman is assigned to long-distance inmate transports, and he has driven over 175,000 miles throughout Florida transporting prisoners between state and county detention facilities. In the absence of the Transportation Unit sergeant, Bowman is entrusted with the unit.

"The Florida Sheriffs Association is proud of the excellent efforts of Sheriff Grady Judd and Deputy Jonathan Bowman,” Johnson said. “Polk County is a great example of how to focus on serving the community well, and this deputy earns our gratitude for putting his training into action to save a life."

From Left: FSA President Ben Johnson, Deputy Jonathan Bowman and Sheriff Grady Judd at the 2012 Corrections Officer of the Year Award presentation.

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