Law Enforcement
Commendation Medal

 

The Law Enforcement Commendation Medal may be presented by the National Society, a state society, or a chapter to those who have served with distinction and devotion in the field of law enforcement. It may be presented to recognize a variety of service in the field of law enforcement.

Fairfax Resolves works with local law enforcement agencies to recognize those who have met these criteria by awarding them the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal. The chapter has a tradition of awarding this medal to one member of the Fairfax County Police Department each year, but the medal can be awarded to members of any law enforcement group.

The medal depicts a police badge design surmounted by a gold eagle with the SAR Badge below. The medal is accompanied by an enameled bar, suitable for wear on a uniform. A miniature medal is also available.

Additional information regarding the SAR Law Enforcement Commendation Medal can be found in the SAR Handbook, Volume III.

 

 

Medal Recipient - 2015

 

Members of the Fairfax Resolves attended the Fairfax County Law Enforcement awards ceremony to present this year’s recipients with the SAR Law Enforcement Commendation medal. As Compatriot Larry McKinley read the nominations, Chapter President Vernon Eubanks presented the awards to two very deserving recipients.

Medal Recipient

MPO (Detective) Scott E. Brown

 

Master Police Officer (MPO) Detective Scott E. Brown has been with the Fairfax County Police Department for twenty-one years, 15 years as a member of the Franconia Criminal Investigation Section.

Early in his career Detective Brown served as a Field Training Officer, a position held by officers showing knowledge, skills and abilities the Department desires all officers to learn..

Detective Brown was assigned to a position with the Criminal Investigation Section due to his excellent results and the outstanding way he treats all people with whom he comes in contact. One letter in his personnel folder is from the parents of a juvenile Detective Brown arrested while investigating a case. This juvenile made a mistake and letters routinely from parents blame everyone else for the youth’s mistakes. Not here. This letter from the juvenile’s parents conveys deep appreciation and outlined how Detective Brown took this incident and made it a life lesson for the youth. By showing compassion the youth was able to make changes in his life to become a better member of the community.

Several cases worked by Detective Brown have truly made the streets in the Washington Metropolitan Area safer. One of those cases involved a string of larcenies in the Franconia/Springfield where the suspect would pose as a law enforcement officer to gain a victim’s trust and then theft of money and property would occur including sexual assault. The betrayal of trust is the hardest thing for victims to overcome!! Detective Brown was assigned this case and immediately searched previous cases for similarities, but without a computer based search programs, work was by hand and it was tedious. He found a case in which a citizen confided in an officer about an event that happened three years earlier. Information and evidence provided by this person led the suspect’s name which in turn led to numerous other cases in Virginia and Maryland that were labeled with the same suspect. With this investigation and the brave testimony of the victims, the suspect was convicted and is now serving two consecutive life terms in prison for attempted rape, sexual assault and kidnapping.

Another case involving a serial peeper in the district deserves mentioning. During his investigation Detective Brown, received circumstantial evidence from a witness. The evidence allowed Detective Brown to link the same vehicle through a vanity license plate to several cases. Confronting the owner of the vanity license plate who is now the suspect at his place of employment, a confession to 10 cases was received. Later the suspect identified 43 locations where he committed the act of peeping over a two year period. The removal of this kind of crime from the streets is an example of Detective Brown’s hard work.

With his outstanding history in the Department, receiving multiple crime solver awards, being respected and admired as a leader, providing guidance to new Detectives, making the streets safer in the Washington Metropolitan area…all this reflects great credit upon Detective Scott Brown and his unit. It is with great pleasure The Fairfax Resolves Chapter awards Detective Scott Brown the Sons of the American Revolution Law Enforcement Commendation Medal.

 

 

Medal Recipient

Detective Robert LeBlanc

 

Detective Robert LeBlanc, a police officer for 19 years with the last 14 assigned as a Detective for the Mason District Station’s Criminal Investigations Section, is awarded the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal. "His extensive education and experience with criminal investigations, field operations, joint investigations with other sections and the application of law has made him a clear leader and an incredible asset for the CIS and patrol”, states Lt. Jack Hardin, McLean District Station.

Detective LeBlanc has investigated several exceptional cases, but one case in particular involved a series of distraction thefts. A couple were preying on elderly female shoppers throughout the metropolitan area. Their scheme was to approach an elderly female shopper and engage her in conversation. The female suspect would request assistance in reading a product label for the purpose of avoiding potential food allergens. During the distraction, a male suspect would take the victim’s wallet from her purse which was left in an unattended shopping cart.

There were over 50 incidents (40 in Fairfax County) in at least seven counties over an 18 month period. After stealing from the elderly victims, the suspects would then use the stolen credit cards to purchase thousands of dollars worth of gift cards from a variety of retail outlets to include: Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Kohl’s stores. The cumulative result of these incidents resulted in the fraudulent conversion of funds estimated to be in excess of $100,000. Detective LeBlanc’s investigation uncovered who the suspects were so all that was left was to catch them in the act. Montgomery County detectives observed one of the suspects driving in Hyattsville, MD. They notified Detective LeBlanc and he monitored the surveillance operation until the vehicle entered Virginia. Being familiar with the suspect’s M.O., he speculated that they were headed to a particular shopping center to commit another distraction theft. As the suspects exited a store and entered their vehicle, Detective LeBlanc with the assistance of Arlington County Police initiated a traffic stop, verified their identities, and the investigation revealed the suspects had just stolen a wallet and had already attempted to purchase gift cards.

Both suspects were arrested, and transported to the Mason District Station where Detective LeBlanc, during the interviews, decided a search warrant was needed. It was later executed with the assistance of Montgomery County 1st District Special Assignment Team, 1st District Investigative Section, and Prince George’s County Police at the suspects Hyattsville residence where numerous pieces of evidence were recovered.

Both suspects were successfully prosecuted in Fairfax for the crimes they committed in this jurisdiction and received lengthy prison terms. These individuals will likely have a long road ahead of them as they will be transferred to Arlington County and then to Maryland to answer for their crimes in those jurisdictions as well.

This case is just an example of the type of work Detective LeBlanc performs on a daily basis. He deserves recognition and reflects great credit upon his Criminal Investigation Section and the Fairfax County Police Department. It is with honor that we convey the Sons of the American Revolution Law Enforcement Commendation Medal upon Detective Robert LeBlanc.

 

 

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