Deputy Glenn Hoffman was recognized by the American Legion Post #40 at their awards banquet held on June 18, 2005. He was selected by Sheriff Ken J. Mascara as the Officer of the Year for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to that award, Deputy Hoffman was recently recognized by Bank of America as a “Neighborhood Champion.” The Bank of America Minor League Neighborhood Champion program celebrates the teachers, firefighters, police officers, and healthcare workers who demonstrate higher standards and make a difference everyday in the community.

Deputy Hoffman attends and speaks at Neighborhood Watch meetings, educates citizens on crime prevention, and coordinates the Reverse 9-1-1 computerized public information system to notify citizens of events occurring in their neighborhoods. After the devastating hurricanes in 2004, Deputy Hoffman assembled the Citizens Observation Patrol members for the purpose of canvassing manufactured home communities, which had sustained extreme damage, to ascertain if any residents were trapped or in need of assistance. Members located and assisted one individual who sustained injuries as a result of the hurricane and several others who were without food.

His commitment to the community is evident in his volunteer work with the Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers program. Deputy Hoffman contributed over 500 hours of his own time to the organization in 2004. He also serves as the president of the Treasure Coast Crime Prevention Association and as historian for the Florida Crime Prevention Association.

Deputy Hoffman is a 20 year veteran in the law enforcement field. He has been assigned to the Patrol Operations Division, School Resource Unit, and, currently, the Crime Prevention Unit. He is a certified practitioner in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (C.P.T.E.D.) and is also certified as a Convenience Store Inspector and in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.). Recently, he attended training to become a Crime Prevention Specialist.

Throughout his career, Deputy Hoffman has received numerous accolades for his professional achievements. He has been recognized by the Florida Attorney Generals Office as Crime Prevention Practitioner of the Year, as well as the Hundred Club’s Deputy of the Year.

On June 26, 2005, Detective Mark Colangelo received the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award from the American Legion Post 318. The award recognizes law enforcement officers who display professionalism and dedication, while demonstrating a distinct pattern of community service and personal dedication to the community’s security and protection.

In his nomination, Sheriff Ken J. Mascara wrote that Detective Colangelo has outstanding investigative ability. He also noted that in his assignment to the Crimes Against Person’s Unit of the Criminal Investigations Division, Detective Colangelo investigated over 166 cases in the past year and achieved an 86 percent clearance rate.

Detective Colangelo participates in investigations by the L.E.A.C.H. (Law Enforcement Against Child Harm) Unit, conducting pro-active “online” investigations on the Internet, and he assists with investigating unsolved homicide cases. He is a member of the Shooting Investigation, Crisis Negotiation, and Recruiting Teams. In addition, he trains deputies in firearms and defensive tactics.

Prior to becoming a member of the Sheriff’s Office in 1997, he was employed as a correctional officer at Martin Correctional Institution. Detective Colangelo holds an Associate of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Mowhawk Valley Community College in New York and earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Utica College of Syracuse University.

Detective Colangelo has received several letters of recommendation from his peers and the public. For the second quarter of 2004, he was recognized by the Sheriff’s Office as the Detective of the Quarter.