Officers, Community Leader Receive
Sloan Award of Valor
The Weed and Seed Sloan Award of Valor honors local law enforcement officers and community leaders whose legacies in Weed and Seed sites have affected designated neighborhoods across the country.
The honor is given posthumously to those officers and leaders who gave of themselves just as Officer Nicholas Sloan did. On January 30, 2004, Officer Sloan of St. Louis, MO, was killed in the line of duty as he tried to protect his community. Officer Sloan had always done extraordinary work in the community, particularly with the local Weed and Seed site.
The Sloan Award of Valor is presented every 2 years at CCDO's Law Enforcement Conference by the CCDO Director. The recipients in 2006 were Officer Johnny Pun, Betty Ballanger, Detective LaVern Brann, and Officer Timothy "Jake" Laird. Read about their contributions to Weed and Seed sites below.
Officer Johnny Pun
Delray Beach Police Department
Delray Beach, FL
Jean-Albert "Johnny" Pun served 14 years with the Delray Beach Police Department in southern Florida. As a Field Training Officer, he was instrumental in teaching new cadets to be good officers. He also facilitated workshops in cultural diversity for the department, helped to form the first Haitian Citizens' Police Academy, and translated courses into Creole for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a program that trains community members how to respond in emergencies. In addition, he was an instructor for the DARE, GREAT, and DEFY programs, during which he helped teach youth from the Weed and Seed neighborhood.
In an unprecedented action, Officer Pun engaged young gang members in dialogues to help them become lifelong learners, productive workers, and self-sufficient individuals. As a result, after countless hours and a lot of dedication, Officer Pun cofounded the Delray Youth Vocational Charter School (DYVCS) to serve disadvantaged youth from the Weed and Seed target area. Through this program, Officer Pun became the driving force in the lives of countless youth. DYVCS recently received the 2006 Muehlenbeck Award of Excellence from the Innovation Group.
Officer Pun was killed in a motor vehicle accident on September 10, 2005, but his legacy lives on through the lives that DYVSC helps to rescue. Community residents say Officer Pun never gave up, never stopped caring, and never stopped smiling.
Community Leader Betty Ballanger
Sunnyslope Weed and Seed
Phoenix, AZ
As a resident of Phoenix, AZ, for 46 years, Betty Ballanger was the quintessential neighborhood activist in the Sunnyslope area. She fought crime, blight, graffiti, and a lack of after-school programs in her attempts to improve the neighborhood. When she learned of children who returned each day to empty homes and went to bed hungry, Ballanger started the New Northtown After School Children's Program. The initiative gave latchkey children a safe place to stay each afternoon, and it later expanded to include summer vacations. She was at the school every day for more than a decade and took enormous pride in students' achievements. Ballanger also became involved with the New Northtown Neighborhood Fight Back program, a neighborhood improvement program. She considered graffiti a personal affront and was well-known for carrying paint supplies wherever she went, always ready to stop at the side of the road and climb a wall or crawl under a bridge to paint over offensive graffiti.
In recognition of Ballanger's tremendous efforts, the city named a neighborhood after her and her late husband Paul: Ballanger Heights. The couple also received the coveted Hon Kachina Award, an annual state award that recognizes exemplary volunteer community service. Ballanger was a strong supporter of the Weed and Seed strategy, and her legacy of community service and leadership lives on in the Sunnyslope Weed and Seed community.
Detective LaVern Brann
Battle Creek Police Department
Battle Creek, MI
Throughout his career, Detective LaVern Brann worked tirelessly to make the streets of Battle Creek a safe place for its residents—particularly for its children. During his assignment with the Battle Creek Police Department's Special Investigations Unit, Detective Brann worked closely with federal and state law enforcement to eradicate drugs and violent crime in Battle Creek, with a focus on the area known as Washington Heights, a particularly impoverished and crime-plagued part of the city. The detective's efforts led to successful federal prosecutions of more than 25 drug distributors from that area, many of whom were also involved in violent crimes. He also spent a considerable amount of time investigating child sexual assault cases, which ultimately led to a number of successful prosecutions.
Detective Brann received a number of awards throughout his career, including the American Red Cross Law Enforcement Award. His fellow police officers recognized his outstanding service to the community with 11 unit citations, 5 professional excellence citations, 2 letters of commendation, and the department's 2002 Police Officer of the Year award.
On May 9, 2005, Detective Brann was killed in the line of duty while attempting to stop a homicide suspect from fleeing. As he did in the efforts that led to his death, Detective Brann showed extreme bravery throughout his career. He left a legacy of courage and compassion for others in the community to follow.
Officer Timothy "Jake" Laird
Indianapolis Police Department
Southeast Umbrella Organization (SUMO) Weed and Seed
Indianapolis, IN
Officer Timothy "Jake" Laird, a patrol officer in the Indianapolis Police Department's South District, was well-respected and well-liked by coworkers and community residents alike. He loved the community he served, and he died while working to make it a safer place to live.
Officer Laird was killed on August 18, 2004, when he responded to numerous 911 calls about gunfire on the south side of Indianapolis. The shooter was a troubled man who suffered from schizophrenia and had not been taking his prescribed medication. In addition to killing Officer Laird, the suspect wounded several officers during his shooting spree, which led the Indiana State Senate to later pass a measure designed to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of mentally ill individuals in a vote of 48 to 1. The Timothy "Jake" Laird Bill (House Bill 1776) allows law enforcement officers to seize a firearm possessed by an individual whom the officer reasonably believes to be dangerous.
Officer Laird's badge and car number were retired after his death, and the chief of police posthumously awarded him the Indianapolis Police Department's Medal of Honor and Purple Heart. Officer Laird's funeral was followed by a procession of more than 500 squad cars in a line that extended more than 7 miles, and hundreds of well-wishers gathered along the route. At the grave site, more than 700 uniformed law enforcement officers and 150 family members paid their final respects in honor of his legacy.
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Awards were presented in honor of community leader
Ballanger and Officers Brann, Laird, and Pun.
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