July 2, 2008
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SHERIFF JOHNSON PROMOTES THREE DEPUTIES 

Three Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies took a step up the career ladder during a promotion ceremony on Tuesday. Leading the trio was Chico Mandizha, a nearly 17-year veteran who earned his captain’s bars earlier this week. “You’ve done a great job for us wherever you’ve been in this department,” Sheriff Ben Johnson told Mandizha during a packed ceremony at the Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center in Daytona Beach. “It’s both an honor and a pleasure to present you with your captain’s badge.” Also earning promotion this week were Brian Bosco to the rank of lieutenant and Tim Webster to the rank of sergeant. 

Hired in October 1991, Mandizha has spent much of his tenure in traffic enforcement and was responsible for creating the Sheriff’s Office unit that investigates traffic deaths in Deltona. Mandizha has served as the assistant district commander of the Sheriff’s Office’s law enforcement operations in Deltona since his promotion to lieutenant in August 2004. The 40-year-old Mandizha, who has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Warner Southern College, is filling an upcoming vacancy that will be created by the impending retirement of Captain Marty Hatchett. 

Lieutenant Bosco, who was hired a little more than 10 years ago, was never one to be satisfied with just sticking to his primary duty assignment. The 33-year-old Bosco has spent his career in patrol and training. However, he has always signed on for ancillary duties, serving as a field training officer and bomb technician, running the dive team and also serving on the Sheriff’s Office’s honor guard. “You’ve worked hard and done well,” said Sheriff Johnson. 

To the agency’s newest sergeant, Sheriff Johnson told Webster that being a first-line supervisor is one of the toughest and most critical positions in the department. The 39-year-old Webster joined the Sheriff’s Office nearly 8½ years ago and has served most of his time since then in the Civil section. Webster also has served in patrol and is both a bomb technician and a bomb dog handler. “We’re proud for you and proud of you,” Sheriff Johnson told Webster. “We know you’re going to do a great job.”