DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- Volusia County has sided with fired deputy John Szabo over Sheriff Mike Chitwood and as a result, he has received full back pay and benefits dating back to the day nearly a year ago.
The former lawman was unceremoniously tossed out like trash by the rogue paranoid sheriff, thanks to a "rat" within the Volusia County Sheriff's Office who relayed private comments by Szabo in a private union forum on Facebook that were less than flattering.
Passionate, hard-working employees from a wide range of positions within the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office earned the honor of being named Employees of the 1st Quarter of 2014. An incredible diversity of job responsibilities was represented during the ceremony at the Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach. A deputy, investigator, civilian, telecommunicator and volunteer all received awards Tuesday morning from Sheriff Ben Johnson.
Deputy of the quarter John Szabo is the kind of deputy who always arrives at work in the Sheriff’s Office’s District 2, which covers county areas around DeLand, with the mindset that his highest priority is to protect and serve the people of Volusia County. He gladly fills in for other deputies when needed and is a great example of someone who really believes in the team concept. Not only does he complete his own work in a professional and proficient manner, but he also volunteers to assist in areas outside his area of responsibility. In just the first quarter of the year, Szabo was responsible for taking more than $3,000 of illegal drugs off of the streets and recovering at least $20,000 in stolen property. His proactive work philosophy resulted in 28 arrests during the quarter.
“Deputy Szabo goes above and beyond,” said his supervisor, Sgt. Garey MacDowell. “He never questions instructions or has a negative attitude about his work load.”