SLMPD Newsletter Dec. 2012 - St. Louis Police Department

December 2012
METRO
A Newsletter of the
Metropolitan Police Department,
City of St. Louis
Service
Leadership
Fair Treatment
“Service, Integrity, Leadership
And Fair Treatment To All”
Integrity
Mission
Statement
The mission of the Metropolitan Police Department, City of
St. Louis is to protect, serve and
assist citizens when conditions
arise that may affect the well
being of the individual or the
community. Cooperating with
others in the community, officers will work to prevent and
detect crime, protect life and
property and achieve a peaceful society, free from the fear of
crime and disorder. Members
of the Department will strive
Meet the New Chief
C
ongratulations to Captain D. Samuel Dotson,
the city’s newly appointed
Chief of Police.
Dotson is a 17-year veteran
of the Department and had
previously worked as Operations Director for the City
of St. Louis, responsible
for the oversight of many
of the City’s departments.
He has also served in numerous divisions within the Department including
Board of Police Commissioners, Office of the Chief, Intelligence, Operational Planning and the Fourth, Seventh and Ninth Police Districts.
Captain Dotson holds a Master of Business Administration from Fontbonne University and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Webster
University.
Captain Sam Dotson is excited to officially start as Chief on January 1st,
2013 and is confident that the Department will work together to make this
transition smooth.
continually for excellence and
maintain the peace through
service, integrity, leadership
and fair treatment to all.
You can get frequent updates and
announcements from the Chief by following
him on Twitter @ChiefSLMPD
Rest in Peace Lt. Robert Ceriotti
New HQ To Be Complete by Summer 2013
T
he department said
goodbye to a dedicated
officer on November 28. Lt.
Robert “Bobby” Ceriotti has
been a faithful member of the
Department since January of
1980, when he entered the
Academy. When he graduated in March, he began his
career in the 7th District.
Lieutenant Ceriotti had also
been assigned to Vice-Narcotics, Narcotics, 1st District, 6th District, 6th District
Detective Bureau and Area III Detectives. After his promotion to Sergeant in 1993, Ceriotti worked in the 5th
District as a “Line Platoon” Supervisor and also served
as a Sergeant in the 3rd District, Traffic Safety, and the
Hotel-Motel Interdiction Unit. Ceriotti was once again
promoted to Lieutenant in 2008 and served as “Watch
Commander” in both the 5th and 2nd Districts. His final
assignment was serving in the 7th District. During his
long career, Ceriotti was awarded 2 Meritorious Service
Citations, Chief’s Letters of Commendations, Officer of
the Month, and the Department Award of Excellence.
He also competed on behalf of the SLMPD in Guns ‘N
Hoses multiple times and remained undefeated.
When he wasn’t working, Lt. Ceriotti enjoyed spending
time with his family. He leaves behind his beloved children, Kati and Robby; parents, Bob and Aggie; siblings,
Susan and Danny; grandchildren Rylan and Avery; and
other family members including his future son-in-law,
nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins and
countless friends and fellow officers.
SLMPD Social Media Sites
T
he SLMPD currently has a YouTube channel, Facebook
page, and Twitter account that are used in conjunction
with the traditional means of communication to convey
information from the Department to the Community. We
encourage members of the Department who use social media
to “subscribe” to our YouTube channel, “like” our Facebook
page and “follow” our Twitter account. Direct links below:
http://www.youtube.com/stlouismetropd
http://www.facebook.com/#!/
SaintLouisMetropolitanPoliceDepartment
https://www.twitter.com/SLMPD
T
he plans for the new
building, located at
1915 Olive St., began in
2010, when a renovation
study was completed on
the current headquarters.
When the study resulted
in an estimate of
approximately $70 million dollars worth of renovation,
an alternative decision was considered. SLMPD
searched for a building to purchase and renovate. The
former A.G. Edwards building at 1915 Olive St. was
obtained for $2.7 million in January 2011.
The new building is composed of 143,000 square
feet spread among four floors. The building also
contains four floors of parking. The Lawrence Group,
an architectural firm, has been working with the
Department to design the renovated building to the
needs of the SLMPD. The unit locations in the new HQ
are:
1st floor – Records (records checks), Human Resources
(information area) and Warrant Fugitive (Sex Offender
registration)
4th floor - Homicide, DART, Child Abuse, Sex Crimes,
Fraud/Cyber Crimes, MCSAP, RDU, Traffic Safety,
SWAT, Emergency Management, Warrant Fugitive,
Intelligence, Canine and Bomb & Arson
5th floor – Telephone Reporting, Information
Technology, Crime Analysis, Buildings, Records, Lab/
ID and Planning & Research
6th – Asset Forfeiture, Tiered Training Room, Large
Break Area, Men’s & Women’s Locker Rooms, Cardio
Room and Mail Room
7th – Chief of Police, Bureau Commanders,
Community Outreach, Public Information, Internal
Affairs, Audit Advisory, Budget & Finance, Human
Resources, Legal, Purchasing and Operational
Planning.
Every unit in the headquarters building will be moved
to the new headquarters except for Property Custody.
A new site for Property Custody is under review.
Communications, the Forensic Lab and the Police
Academy will remain in their current location. The four
parking levels include roughly 250 parking spaces and
an additional 50 in two surface lots on the east side
of 19th Street. The Department is also looking into
additional parking as well.
Metro Quarterly | 2
Citizen’s Academy Graduation
Dog Graduation
Congratulations to the 27 graduates of the
Citizen’s Academy!
O
SLMPD is proud of the 27 civilians who completed
the 12-week Citizen’s Academy course! A graduation
ceremony was held on November 28 in the board room to
honor these outstanding citizens. Chief Isom was a guest
speaker.
n November 16, The Canine Unit Class #208 was
presented and honored for their hard work and
countless hours of dedicated training. Three officers and
their canines successfully completed 14 weeks of rigorous training at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Canine
School.
Congratulations to:
The 12-week course was designed to strengthen the
bond between the department and the community. The
Citizens Academy offers St. Louis city residents and
business owners a better understanding of the inner
workings of the department and the daily challenges
that officers face. The classes include instruction
in the department’s history and structure, how the
department predicts and analyzes crime patterns, gang
intelligence, homicide investigations and community
policing techniques. Students in the Academy also have
the opportunity to interact with police canines and the
police bomb robot, as well as tour the 911 center and use
driving and shooting simulators.
Police Officer Jermaine Jackson
and K9 Barron Z of the SLMPD
Police Officer Chris Fanning
and K9 Diablo of the Overland PD
Police Officer Johnathon Hadley
and K9 AM of the Granite City PD
Officer Jermaine Jackson has
been a police officer with the
department for more than 14
years and we are excited to
welcome his new canine partner! Barron Z is a 3-year old
male German Shepherd, who
joins the department from the
Czech Republic and has been
trained in narcotics/patrol.
We are proud of these exceptional citizens who are
taking an active role in better serving and protecting our
community!
“Heroes Behind the Badge” Movie
“Heroes Behind the Badge”
is a documentary film featuring some of the brave men
and women of law enforcement who put their lives on
the line and survived, and
those who made the ultimate
sacrifice. The makers of this
film hope to change the way
society looks at the men and
women of law enforcement and the brave acts they commit
each day in the line of duty.
SLMPD Officer Daryl Hall, who was killed April 24, 2011
when he confronted a gunman off-duty, is honored in the
film with a photo included in a video montage of fallen heroes from around the country. Hall’s name is also included in
the credits of the film.
There will be a special screening of “Heroes Behind the
Badge” on January 16 at 6:30 pm at Wehrenberg Ronnies 20
Cine’.
50% of the net proceeds of this film will go the National Law
Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
During the course of the
program, Barron Z worked
side by side with Officer
P.O. Jermaine Jackson
Jackson and received instruc& Barron Z
tion in obedience, aggression,
searching and in his specialty, narcotics. Officers and their
canine partners develop special bonds during the training,
and canines assist officers with suspect tracking, explosives, narcotics searches and other tasks, helping to solve
and prevent crimes.
The Department’s canine unit was formed in 1958 and
is known as one of the oldest and most well-respected
canine units in the country. The use of dogs began after
the Board of Police Commissioners sent five chosen St.
Louis Police Officers to London to learn about the city’s
canine program. Upon the officers’ return and the Board’s
approval, the St. Louis Police Canine Section was formed.
The Canine Unit wanted to select an eager, fearless dog
that could possess self-control and selected the German
Shepherd as the unit’s preferred dog. We still use German
Shepherds, such as Barron Z, today and they have proved
to be a perfect partner in the Department’s fight against
crime.
Metro Quarterly | 3
Honoring Officer Julius Moore
T
Guns ‘N Hoses
his past August, the
City of St. Louis
and the State of Missouri
honored one of SLMPD’s
fallen officers at a highway dedication ceremony. On August 25, a portion of I-55 was officially
named the “Julius Keith
Moore Memorial Highway.” Officer Moore had
been on duty for just under two years when a fatal car crash on October 6,
2009 took his life. Officer Moore would have been
27 on November 8th. He is survived by his wife,
Alicia, and three young children as well as his parents; sister, Jennifer; nephews and numerous other
friends and family members. Julius Moore graduated from Normandy High School in 2004, earned
a degree in Criminal Justice from Hickey College,
then joined the department in April of 2007 as a
recruit and graduated from the police academy on
Dec. 6, 2007. He spent his commissioned career
assigned to District 3 as a patrolman. Those that
knew him say that Officer Moore loved being an
officer and could always be seen with a smile on
his face. Officer Moore’s loved ones along with
the entire department hopes that the dedication
will keep his memory alive.
T
he 26th Annual Budweiser Guns ‘N Hoses
proved to be yet another successful event! The
event was held on November 21 at the Scotttrade
Center and attracted thousands of guests to see if
the police officers could defend their championship title from 2011. Although the firefighters
took home the win this year, the real winner that
night was The BackStoppers. Since the event’s
inception, it has raised about $3.6 million for the
organization, assisting numerous families of police
officers, firefighters and emergency responders
who died in the line of duty.
Thank you to those officers who represented
SLMPD:
Julie Reynolds, of District 5, was defeated by
Kelly Kennon of the Rock Community Fire
Protection.
Chris Childers, of District 1, defeated Jimmy
D’Angelo of the Eureka Fire Protection
District.
Daniel Book, of RDU, defeated Dan
Oldenwald of the Fenton Fire District.
Rachel Capps, of RDU, was defeated by
Jeanetra Thompson of the St. Louis Fire
Department.
George Henry, of District 7, defeated Justin
Wilkinson of the Rosewood Heights, Ill., Fire
Department.
Kevin Sanders, of District 7, defeated
Salva Parrenti of the Webster Groves Fire
Department.
Larry Wentzel, of District 1, was defeated
by Paul Vessels of the Creve Coeur Fire
Protection District.
Nathaniel Jordan, of District 2, was defeated
by Steve Womack of the St. Louis Fire
Department.
Metro Quarterly | 4
Officers of the Month / Achievements
“Season of Love” Holiday Musical
September
District 1
Officer Igor Kahrimanovic
Officer Matthew Abernathy
District 2
Office Matthew Mayer
District 3
Officer Patrick Immken
District 4
Officer Phillip Harden
District 6
Officer Don McGhee
District 7
Officer Clayton Charleville
Support Ops
Jeffrey Granich
A still frame from the Channel 5 news story featuring the
Department Choir
T
he Department’s choir held their annual holiday concert on Saturday, December 8 at Harris
Stowe State University where they entertained
an audience with a selection of holiday favorites.
The choir is one of only three in the country, and
is composed of officers, civilians and a few volunteers. The choir has been under the direction
of Mr. Philip Woodmore since its inception three
years ago when Chief Isom founded the unique
group, after he approached Officer John Leggette
about arranging a 9/11 memorial performance. The
choir was also featured in a news story on Channel
5’s “Show Me St. Louis” program. You can see
the news story on the Department’s Facebook page
and hear some clips of the choir’s performance
preview on the Department YouTube channel
at http://www.youtube.com/stlouismetropd. If you
haven’t heard the beautiful voices of our choir,
check them out!
October
District 1
Officer Shaviste Grandberry
Officer Allen Whitney
District 2
Officer Dan Clauss
Officer Kyle Brewer
District 4
Officer Tiffany Burns
Officer Phillip Anderson
District 5
Officer Crystal English
District 6
Officer Elijah Simpson
District 7
Officer Ryan Murphy
Support Ops
James Hegger
November
District 4
Officer James Zwilling
Civilian Recruits in Training
Congratulations
Dennis Banks
Nicholas Muehlheausler
Candra Burnett
Courtney Nash
Michael Cheli
Stephen Ogunjobi
Ross Devereux
Samuel Rachas
John Floyd
Colin Regan
ongratulations to the SLMPD Crime Lab for
being awarded accreditation by the American
Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory
Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) under the International Testing Program on November 16.
Christopher Franklin
Cornell Robinson
Ronald Hammond
Joseph Sasenger
Deanna Jenkins
Michael Simpson
Juan Jones
Kelly Smith
Michael Joyner
Nhongshack Vorachack
Ryan Kotaska
Matthew Watson
Justin Lotts
Michael Weldon
Kevin Malone
Joshua Chappeau
C
Congratulations to Dr. Jerry Baumgartner, Police
Planner II, Planning & Research Division on receiving certification as a Certified Law Enforcement
Planner through the International Association of
Law Enforcement Planners (IALEP) on September
27
Miranda McElrath
Metro Quarterly | 5
New Hires
Recent Retirements
Courtney Huskey..... Telephone Report Spec. Trn
Robert Shoemaker - Armed Guard
retired 7/31, 39 years of service
Alexander Klein.............Comm. Specialist Trainee
Kevin Dang.................................Mechanic Helper
Melanie Huch......................................Area Clerk
Alec Davis.............................................. Custodian
Aidan Woods......................................... Custodian
Cindy Thorne........................................ Custodian
Morgan Buchanan..... Telephone Report Spec. Trn
Joseph Wojcik.......... Telephone Report Spec. Trn
Alfred Allmon, Jr...... Civilian Recruit in Training
Joshua Cognasso........... Processing Clerk Trainee
Eric Jackson.................................... Armed Guard
Kelly McCain................. Processing Clerk Trainee
Rae Wojdylo..................... Programmer Analyst II
Trenton Lee............................Records Technician
Leah Freeman..........Public Information Specialist
Drucilla Caldwell...................Records Technician
St. Louis Police Foundation Donation
T
hank you to the St. Louis Police Foundation for their
recent donations that received approval by the St. Louis
Board of Police Commissioner to make the following purchases:
Funding for an Officer Safety Program
Flood Spotlights/HID Lite-Box for Homicide Unit
Safety lights for traffic safety motorcycles
Chevrolet Tahoe upgrades from Chevrolet Impala for 40
vehicles
Training fee and traveling expenses for Annual K-9
Certification
Tough Book H2 Tablets for K-9 trainers
Mobile laptop computers and 5.0 Professional K-9 Software
Sponsorship of fundraising events of officers in need
Lieutenant Edward Smoote
retired 8/14, 18 years of service
Police Officer William Jones
retired 8/24, 21 years of service
Sharon Browning - Records
retired 8/31, 36 years of service
Sergeant Bobby Summerville
retired 9/18, 16 years of service
Lieutenant Allan Moore
retired 10/19, 20 years of service
Police Officer Paul Zwick
retired 10/21, 33 years of service
Police Officer David Ramsey
retired 11/4, 33 years of service
Sergeant John Vollmann
retired 11/9, 18 years of service
Police Officer John Clobes
retired 11/10, 41 years of service
Sergeant Terry Kowalczyk
retired 11/18, 24 years of service
Police Officer Thomas DuBach
retired 11/18, 20 years of service
Sergeant Joseph Lehman
retired 12/2, 25 years of service
Police Officer Steven Tucker
retired 12/14, 35 years of service
Also, big thanks to the St. Louis Police Foundation for catering Thanksgiving Day meals for all employees who worked
on the holiday!
Metro Quarterly | 6
Calendar of Events
January 10 (Thursday)
January 19 (Saturday)
Annual PAL Boxing Show
7:00 pm
Casa Loma Ballroom,
$15 a ticket, $120 for a table seating 8 people
To reserve a table or for more information, contact
Captain Leyshock at [email protected].
14th Annual Elite Dance Party
To benefit BackStoppers
8:00 pm-10:00 pm
Moolah Shine Center,12545 Fee Fee Rd.
Saint Louis, MO 63146
Drinks, Dancing, Silent Auction & 50/50 Raffle
$15 single reserved seats, $10 at the door
Contact Deb at (314)378-2729 for more information or go to backstoppers.org.
January 12 (Saturday)
PAL Snowman Softball Tournament
Games start at 7:30 am
Forest Park Central Fields
Registration fee: $150
Featuring Hoghead’s Bar & Grill
To register by phone call: (314) 771-5110
January 16 (Wednesday)
February 16 (Saturday)
“Heroes Behind the Badge” Screening
6:30 pm
Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine in St. Louis
Come see a moving documentary on officers who make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our communities.
Annual Special Olympics Trivia Night
Doors open 6:00 pm, Games begins 7pm
Boilermakers Hall, 1547 S. Broadway
$10 per person, tables of 10
Refreshments, hot dogs and prizes!
Contact Capt. Mike Caruso or
Capt. Jim Morgan to reserve your table
May 6 (Monday)
ProDrivers Guns ‘N Hoses Golf Scramble
The Falls Golf Club at Turtle Creek
To benefit BackStoppers.
More details to come.
Cops 4 Kids
P
atrolling for Presents had yet another successful year and provided even more children with a happier
holiday! The third annual event was held on December 8 and, in conjunction with Big Brother Big Sisters
(BBBS) and Target Department Stores, provided presents for 16 St. Louis City children in need. More than 30
SLMPD officers participated in this event. The children, who are “Littles” with the BBBS, enjoyed a shopping
spree, a pizza party and even a visit from Cardinal Mascot, Fred Bird!
Metro Quarterly | 7
Citizens of the Month
Chief Dan Isom: A Career to Remember
C
September Citizens of the Month
Sheila Richards
Police Court Liaison
ongratulations to
Chief Isom on his
recent retirement and
four and a half outstanding years of service as
the Department Chief!
Chief Isom holds a Bachelor, Master and a Ph.D.
in Criminology and
Criminal Justice from the
Chief Isom with his sister, Police
University of MissouriOfficer Dana Isom
St. Louis. He also holds
a Master in Public Administration from St. Louis
University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National
Academy and the Police Executive Forum Senior
Management Institute.
Donna Becherer
Laboratory Division
October Citizens of the Month
Nicole Jost
Property Custody
Chief Isom has served in patrol, investigative, training and administrative assignments during his tenure
at the police department. Here is a timeline of Chief
Isom’s achievements and service at the SLMPD:
Mitchell L. Kays
Buildings Division
November Citizens of the Month
1988: After graduating from the Police Academy,
Daniel Isom joins the department in August of 1988.
1995: Chief Isom is promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
1998: Chief Isom is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
Felicia White
Desk Clerk - South Patrol
2002: Chief Isom is promoted to the rank of Captain. In that role, he served as Commander of the St.
Louis Police Academy, Sixth and Seventh Districts,
as well as in the Internal Affairs Division.
Carol Gorham
Laboratory Division
SLMPD Social Media Sites
T
he SLMPD currently has a YouTube channel, Facebook
page, and Twitter account that are used in conjunction
with the traditional means of communication to convey
information from the Department to the Community. We
encourage members of the Department who use social media
to “subscribe” to our YouTube channel, “like” our Facebook
page and “follow” our Twitter account. Direct links below:
http://www.youtube.com/stlouismetropd
http://www.facebook.com/#!/
SaintLouisMetropolitanPoliceDepartment
2007: Chief Isom is promoted to the rank of Major
and now works as the Special Projects Assistant to
the Chief of Police.
2008: Colonel Daniel Isom is appointed as the City
of St. Louis’ 33rd Chief of Police on October 6.
2013: Chief Isom celebrates his retirement on January 1, 2013.
https://www.twitter.com/SLMPD
Metro Quarterly | 8