Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams Recognized as the 2022 NASBLA National Boating Officer of the Year
During its 63rd Annual Meeting, held in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sept. 27 - 30, 2022, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) presented its prestigious National Boating Officer of the Year award to Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO).
The National Boating Officer of the Year award recognizes a law enforcement officer who has made an outstanding contribution to boating safety through enforcement and has performed an outstanding service to the agency or state in any facet of recreational boating safety.
Deputy Sheriff Williams has been employed with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office since 2017 and is currently assigned to the Marine Unit. He consistently displays a strong work ethic and tackles new challenges with positivity and confidence.
Deputy Sheriff Williams’ diligence in patrolling the waterways of Okaloosa County in 2021 was exemplary. He self-initiated 1,050 vessel stops and totaled 1,512 calls for service. During this time, Deputy Sheriff Williams issued 131 citations and made 63 arrests, including 27 boating under the influence (BUI) arrests, the most ever by an OCSO marine deputy. He focused his efforts towards educating the boating public, only citing 13% of the violators he encountered.
Additionally, Deputy Sheriff Williams initiated over 60 logged calls for distressed boaters and swimmers. Throughout the summer, many people are swept off of Crab Island due to the strong outgoing currents. During these times, Deputy Sheriff Williams patterns his patrols to place him in a position to assist people that are swept into the deeper waters. In 2021, Deputy Sheriff Williams pulled over 50 distressed swimmers from the waters encompassing Crab Island to safety.
In preparation for the 2021 boating season, the Marine Unit continued to set a goal of increased enforcement of boating under the influence. Deputy Sheriff Williams’ dedication towards this unit goal resulted in a 48% unit increase in BUI arrests for 2021, 83 in 2021 compared to 56 in 2020.
Deputy Sheriff Williams is an asset to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and continues to surpass his previous accomplishments each year. He continues to be a model representation of a Deputy Sheriff and has proven himself as an agency top performer.
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators congratulates Deputy Sheriff Daniel Williams on receiving the National Boating Officer of the Year award in recognition of his dedication, commitment and influence on recreational boating safety. To learn more about NASBLA's awards program visit www.nasbla.org/awards.
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The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) is a national nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories. We offer a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards, publications and more. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, we affect the lives of nearly 85 million American boaters.