Master Detective Kathryn Gordon of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has been named Officer of the Year by Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, the agency announced last week. Gordon received her award at the 25th Annual Banquet Honoring Local Law Enforcement, held in Daytona Beach on Thursday.
Gordon’s career with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office began in 2020, when she was hired as a patrol deputy in the FCSO’s Community Policing Division. The next year she received a role in the Major Case Unit. There she began working with the most grave and serious cases to come across the agency’s desk – homicides, shootings, sexual assault and battery, and crimes perpetuated against children to name a few.
L-R: Detective Sgt. George Hristakopoulos, Chief Deputy Joe Barlile, Master Detective Kathryn Gordon, Sheriff Rick Staly, Cdr. Brian Finn, and Chief Agustin Rodriguez. ⓒ Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
Nowadays Gordon also works as part of the FCSO’s Emergency Response Team, a key component of the agency’s reaction in times of natural disaster. Her service led her to respond to Taylor County in Florida’s Big Bend to assist in the recovery from the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Helen in September 2024.
For her work in serious cases, Gordon is a member of the International Homicide Investigators Association and the National Homicide Investigators Association. She also holds a certification from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) as a certified instructor, which has enabled her to help train five new detectives as they began their careers in the FCSO Major Case Unit.
In a release detailing Gordon’s honor, the FCSO listed several accomplishments that preceded the award. The agency says Gordon did investigative work on a sex offense case involving multiple jurisdictions, in which she helped reveal victims in three states and procure confessions from multiple suspects. Beyond that she worked as lead detective on a case which involved the sexual exploitation of a child, which led to an arrest for human trafficking.
From her own employer, Gordon has been named FCSO Employee of the Month in March 2024, plus a number of unit citations and commendations presented to her by Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. She has also received the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Flagler Chapter, plus a commendation from the Florida Department of Children and Families.
“Major Case Master Detective Gordon being named Officer of the Year for large agencies is an incredible honor and a testament to her dedication, professionalism, and relentless pursuit of justice for victims,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly – himself a former President of Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida. “This recognition also reflects the teamwork and commitment of the entire agency. I am proud of Master Detective Gordon and congratulate her. She represents the exceptional team we have serving and protecting Flagler County. I also congratulate the other winners and everyone that was nominated by their agency.”
