Encinitas Deputy Honored with Deputy Sheriff of the Year Award

The Sheriff's Department is always proud of the incredible work and dedication shown by its staff in keeping the community safe.

Deputy William Dunford from the Encinitas Sheriff's Station was recently given an incredible honor. He received the Charles "Bud" Meeks Valor Award for Deputy Sheriff of the Year at the National Sheriffs' Association's (NSA) annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

The award is one of the highest honors a Sheriff's Deputy can receive in the United States.

Dunford's bravery and quick-thinking are credited for helping save the lives of Deputies Colin Snodgrass and James Steinmeyer who were wounded in the line of duty in Encinitas on February 20, 2013.

Dunford risked his own life to get the wounded deputies to safety and get them immediate medical care.

In giving him the Valor Award for Deputy Sheriff of the Year, the NSA says Dunford remained calm in the face of incredible danger and used his supreme leadership skills to take control of the situation.

Another shining example of the passion and hard work that embodies the Sheriff's Department is Chris Van Gorder.

Recently, he was promoted to the position of Reserve Assistant Sheriff.

For more than a decade, Van Gorder has been a member of the Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit. He was appointed SAR Commander in 2007.

When he's not assisting the Sheriff's Department in the search for a missing person, Van Gorder is saving lives as CEO and President of Scripps Health. 

—San Diego County Sheriff's Department