Attorney General Bill McCollum Press Release

March 27, 2009
Media Contact: Jenn Meale (850) 245-0150
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Attorney General Presents Top Award to Key Staff Member

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced the recipient of the Attorney General’s Award of Merit as Emery Gainey, Director of Law Enforcement Relations and Director of Victims Services and Criminal Justice Programs. In addition to his other duties, Gainey has also been instrumental developing and implementing the Attorney General’s statewide gang reduction strategy.

Gainey, who has been with the Attorney General’s Office since 2007, built the statewide gang reduction strategy from the ground up, organizing the state into regional task forces to address the significant threat of criminal gangs and gang violence in Florida. The strategy focuses on the three key goals of stopping the growth of gangs in Florida, reducing the number of gangs and gang members, and rendering the remaining gangs ineffectual. The strategy is built on the pillars of prevention/intervention, law enforcement, and rehabilitation and re-entry.

The Award of Merit is awarded to employees who deserve special recognition for outstanding and exemplary performance, who exhibit extraordinary customer service, make a significant contribution to the Office of the Attorney General, consistently exceed normal and expected standards, or demonstrate superior leadership skills. This award is the highest honor bestowed on an employee in the Department of Legal Affairs. Last year’s award recipient was Maureen Horkan, the Director of the Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit.

A photograph of the Attorney General, Gainey, and Central Florida Regional Deputy John Paré is available online at: http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MRAY-7QJP4Q/$file/gainey.jpg.