Internally-generated commendations fall into the following categories:
- Medal of Valor
- Meritorious Conduct Medal - Gold
- Meritorious Conduct Medal - Silver
- Purple Heart Award
- Sheriff’s Humanitarian Award
- Line of Duty Award
- Lifesaving Award
- Public Safety Award
- Distinguished Service Award
- Exemplary Service Award
- Meritorious Service Award
- Leadership Award
- Sheriff’s Award
- Sheriff’s Commendations
- Commendable Restraint Commendations (signed by a division chief or division director)
- Career Achiever’s Award
- Unit Recognition Award
- Division Commendation Scroll
- Executive Commendations (authored by a unit commander or above)
- Supervisor Acknowledgment (signed by supervisors at the rank of lieutenant/assistant director and below)
In addition to commendations, the Department also recognizes physical fitness, divisional assignments, field training officers, shooting proficiency, tactical operations/campaigns worked, and years of service in the form of Department pins.
Internal commendations which are signed by a captain/director or above (i.e., executive commendations and all higher level commendations) shall be indexed in the Performance Recording and Monitoring System (PRMS). Qualifying for a physical fitness, divisional assignment, field training officer, shooting proficiency, tactical operation/campaign worked, or a years of service pin does not constitute a commendation and shall not necessarily be indexed in the PRMS.
Each unit commander is responsible for ensuring the completion of an "Employee Commendation/Award PRMS Data Entry Form," (SH‑R‑437C) for each commendation received by his/her personnel that is to be indexed. The data entry form is to be completed at the time the commendation is signed or the award is presented.
The data entry into the PRMS shall be performed by the Risk Management Bureau's Discovery Unit, and the form routed as follows:
- First copy attached to a copy of the commendation document and forwarded to division headquarters. The area commander shall review the commendation, “contents noted” it, and forward the commendation, with the data entry form copy attached, to Personnel Administration Bureau for filing in the employee’s personnel folder;
- Second copy attached to a copy of the commendation document and forwarded to division headquarters. The area commander shall, "Contents Noted," and forward the commendation, with the "Employee Commendation/Award PRMS Data Entry Form," attached, to the Discovery Unit for PRMS data entry;
- Original copy attached to a copy of the commendation document and filed in the employee’s unit personnel file.
NOTE: Area commanders are responsible for monitoring the level of significance of the subject matter in commendations signed by their unit commanders.