OSP Bend Area Command Patrol Sergeant Recognized as Top Patrol Supervisor in Oregon

Sergeant Brown is the first OSP recipient of the retired "Sergeant John Burright Traffic/Patrol Supervisor of the Year" award.

Oregon State Police Sergeant Eric Brown, Photo courtesy: Oregon State Police

(BEND, Ore.) - A Bend-area Oregon State Police patrol sergeant was recognized for his leadership, interagency commitment, and community involvement when he received an award sponsored by the Department Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) as the top patrol supervisor in Oregon.

The retired "Sergeant John Burright Traffic/Patrol Supervisor of the Year" award recognizes the leadership of a supervisor who goes above and beyond regular duties, encouraging outstanding efforts in traffic safety and enforcement within their department and implements and/or encourages innovative programs, curriculums, and/or presentations that emphasize traffic safety within their agency, community, and State.

The DPSST-sponsored award is named after retired Oregon State Police Sergeant John Burright. Oregon State Police Sergeant Eric Brown, a 24-year OSP veteran assigned to the Bend Area Command office, received the award during the February 21st lunchtime ceremony at the 4th annual Patrol Supervisors Conference held at Salishan on the Oregon coast.

The award was presented by retired Sergeant Burright's wife, Rhonda, and her sons, OSP Superintendent Timothy McLain, and DPSST Captain Suzanne Isham.

Lieutenant Carl Rhodes, OSP Bend Area Commander, pointed out several examples of Sergeant Brown's patrol supervisory leadership, commitment, and continuing partnership and innovative traffic safety programs:

* Actively involved in instructing Drivers Education courses in the Central Oregon School system, something for which his efforts have been publicly recognized by the school district.

* Acts as the point of contact for OSP Bend Area Command and ODOT traffic safety grants for speed, safety belt, DUII, and ODOT construction zone enforcement projects.

* Assigned as the OSP contact to several central Oregon police agencies on a Multi-Agency Traffic Team. In addition to OSP, this interagency team has officers assigned from Bend Police Department, Redmond Police Department, and Deschutes County Sheriff's Office. Team members conduct enforcement efforts each month to address county-wide traffic safety issues.

Sergeant Brown is the first OSP recipient of the retired "Sergeant John Burright Traffic/Patrol Supervisor of the Year" award. Previous winners were from Washington County Sheriff's Office, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, and Beaverton Police Department. Seven individuals from various offices around the State were nominated this year. Approximately 130 individuals attended the three-day training conference for patrol supervisors.

Sergeant Brown, age 51, joined Oregon State Police in 1983 and was initially assigned at the Klamath Falls office. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1989 and has worked throughout his OSP career in the central Oregon area including offices in Gilchrist and Bend.