Thanks to his regular scam awareness classes and work as a dedicated financial crimes investigator, Union County Sheriff’s Sgt. Robert “Bob” Calamari has been making a real difference in preventing residents from becoming victims of fraud-based crimes.
For his efforts, he was recently honored with a commendation medal after a brief presentation of his background courtesy of Sheriff Shawn Dyer.
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Every year, the Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution partner with the Union County Sheriff’s Office, local EMS and the Union County Fire Department to recognize outstanding public servants.
Normally, recipients receive their medals at the county commissioner’s meeting, but Calamari was unable to make the meeting in December due to illness. Instead, Dyer presented the medal to him earlier this month after sharing some info on his career and accomplishments.
Calamari served as a Sergeant Major in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring and pursuing a career in law enforcement. Serving in both California and Florida, Calamari then made the move to Georgia and became employed by the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
He asked to be assigned to the courthouse security team, later approaching then-Sheriff Mack Mason for “a more challenging assignment.” Based on prior experience, he was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division, and in Dyer’s words, “hit the ground running.”
It was at CID that he found his niche handling fraud cases, gradually growing a case log and a reputation as he networked with other agencies to help them solve their own problems with scams. In doing so, Calamari reached out to local banks and civic organizations.
And thus began his quest to educate the public with free presentations. While he reaches many people through the scam classes held at the Union County Public Library, Calamari has also interviewed with the North Georgia News and spoken over the radio. Attendance is steady at the scam classes, and some have drawn more than 100 attendees at a time.
“His efforts with this type of (case) have resulted in several arrests and the recovery of thousands of dollars for victims,” Sheriff Dyer said. “Unfortunately, not all cases result in arrests, but through Sgt. Calamari’s successful education and prevention programs, we anticipate residents in Union County are better informed and able to recognize these types of offenses.”
A better-informed public has contributed to a noticeably lower rate of local fraud and scam cases over the last couple of years, and Dyer – along with the Sons of the American Revolution – thanked Calamari for his hard work before presenting him with a commendation medal and shaking his hand.
