1999 Award for Merit

Sergeant Troy Williamson, University of Central Florida Police Department.

The Award for Merit is presented to a member or employee of a campus public safety, police or security department who daily displays professionalism and excellence in performing his/her duties or whose actions and attitude brings credit to the campus law enforcement community. The Second Annual IACLEA Award for Merit was presented to Sergeant Troy Williamson, University of Central Florida Police Department.

Sgt. Williamson began his career as a University police officer in 1984. He was promoted to corporal in 1986 and to sergeant in 1990. During his 15 years of employment with the University of Central Florida Police Department, he has made a wide variety of arrests including dealing in stolen property, burglary, carrying concealed firearms, drug offenses, child pornography, counterfeit drivers licenses, and many others. Sgt. Williamson graduated in May 1999 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida.

It was in 1987 when Williamson became interested in the high use of alcoholic beverages among young adults. He found that the counterfeit driver license was the key to purchasing alcoholic beverages for minors. The November/December 1988 issue of the Campus Law Enforcement Journal featured Williamson and his article "Fake Ids – An Old Problem on the Rise." After going to Daytona Beach, FL during Spring Break 1989, he authored his second article "Spring Break Daytona: A Night on the Town." In 1997, he wrote his latest article on an investigation of a University of Central Florida student making his own counterfeit driver’s licenses from his home computer. In response to the many requests from student organizations that invite him to speak, he has developed a brochure that is given to new students to warn them about fake Ids and other alcoholic beverage crimes.

Administratively, Sgt. Williamson is a shift supervisor who has brought new ideas to the crime prevention program to control underage drinking, bike theft, and textbook theft. He has worked as the hazardous event coordinator responsible for major concerts and commencement ceremonies. During one concert in 1996, he and his crew were able to seize seven tanks of Nitrous Oxide. At the conclusion of a high school graduation ceremony, a freak lightening storm developed causing seven different fires consuming approximately 100 acres. Sgt. Williamson was the shift supervisor that afternoon and coordinated the fire fighters and university police officers who worked together to put the fires out.

According to Lt. Michael Zelanes, Patrol Commander at Central Florida University, "Sergeant Troy Williamson has certainly brought credit to the department and the University of Central Florida. He is well respected among administrators, faculty, staff, and the student body."