Another national organization has honored an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy for their service to the community. 

The National Association of Safe Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) named Deputy Daniel Williams the 2022 National Officer of the Year.

Williams has been with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office since 2017. 

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Williams “displays a strong work ethic and tackles new challenges with positivity and confidence.”

NASBLA said in a statement that “Deputy Williams is a pro-active law enforcement officer; however, he also demonstrates proper judgment in conducting his daily duties. His 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 Williams issued 131 citations and made 63 arrests, including 27 boating under the influence (BUI) arrests, the most ever by an OCSO Marine Deputy. De focused his efforts on educating the boating public, only citing 13% of the violators he encountered. Additionally, Deputy Williams also initiated over 60 logged calls for distressed boaters and swimmers.”

Currently, Deputy Williams is on the road to southwest Florida to help people affected by Hurricane Ian in Charlotte County.