The Garland Police Department held its annual Awards Dinner on April 24 of this year.  The event is sponsored each year by the Garland Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association and was held this year in the Hyatt Place Hotel of Garland.  Listed below is an abbreviated synopsis from the Award Dinner Program of those who received a Year Award.  For a complete look at the program you may go to the Police section of the City’s website, click on Commendations and then 2009 Awards.
 
Officer of the Year – Alexis D. Crockett
Officer Alexis D. Crockett, an 18 year veteran of the Department, in November of 2006 was assigned to the Traffic Unit. He quickly adapted to the Unit and attended all the required training.  Officer Crockett’s traffic assignment duties require him to monitor traffic problems throughout the city, as well as answering citizen complaints and investigating motor vehicle accidents including fatality accidents.  When the Traffic Unit investigates fatality accidents there are times they must use special equipment to reconstruct the accident scene so they can create a computerized scale drawing of the scene. This is referred to as mapping.  Officer Crockett volunteered to be part of the mapping reconstruction team and trained each week on the mapping equipment and attended classes to be as proficient as possible.
Officer Crockett also showed an interest in Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV) safety after investigating several accidents involving those types of vehicles. Crockett noted many vehicles did not comply with safety regulations and should not have been in operation. He was given approval to become a TxDot Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspector, giving him authority from the State of Texas, as well as the Federal Government, to conduct inspections of the CMVs traveling the streets of Garland.
Officer Crockett attended three weeks of very intense training with the Department of Public Safety in Austin. He then trained with the Dallas Police Department’s CMV Unit and was certified as a TxDot CMV Inspector. Officer Crockett has definitely become the expert in the Unit when it comes to CMVs.
Officer A.D. Crockett is truly an asset to the Garland Police Department for his dedication and work ethic. During 2009, Officer A.D. Crockett received a compliment letter for his assistance in mapping a police shooting. He also received a Certificate of Merit for capturing the suspect on a Hit and Run Fatality accident that he investigated and was named Officer of the Month - May 2009 for this same Fatality Hit and Run investigation and arrest. 

Supervisor of the Year - Lieutenant Gary D. Cummings
Lieutenant Gary Cummings, a 19 veteran of the Department, has distinguished himself as an organized and enthusiastic individual, dedicated to his profession and the Garland Police Department.
As the Detention Center manager, Lt. Cummings excels and has diligently worked to instill pride, responsibility and cooperation within the staff members he supervises. Through his staff, he has improved Detention Center operations:
·        Upgraded the Guard One System, giving Detention Officers the ability to document prisoner activity.
·        Updated procedures for handling collected fines and bonds.
·        Developed procedures and created computerized forms to expedite the processing of prisoners in preparation for transfer to Dallas County.
·        Coordinated and developed procedures with the city doctor for regular tuberculosis testing of detention personnel.
·        Established Standard Operating Procedures review committee
·        With the assistance of staff, he built, covered frames and installed sound proofing materials to the walls, which has eliminated the echo and has enhanced communication and safety.
·        Lt. Cummings managed the installation of a new camera system in the detention center.
·        Lt. Cummings’ influence and dedication have also been apparent outside the walls of the Detention Center.
·    Utilized his expert knowledge to manage video and security related projects at the property room, criminal investigation interview rooms and the police lobby.
·  Coordinated efforts to enhance the department’s computerized scheduling and time reporting system.
·  Developed customized divisional overtime reports.
Innovation is the word that comes to mind when you think of Lt. Cummings.  In September 2009, his innovative talents were recognized by the National Institute of Justice for his automated translation project.  He was selected to represent the state of Texas in Baltimore, Maryland to present his project proposal before the NIJ Technology for Corrections Institute. 
 
Unit of the Year - Crimes Against Persons (CAPERS)
During 2009, the CAPERS Unit carried a one hundred percent clearance rate on murder investigations, while at the same time responding to a number of officer-involved shootings. The Robbery section maintained a clearance rate of thirty percent which is outstanding considering none of the suspects are known to police at the time they are reported. Additionally, the unit received 2,369 reports overall, maintaining a ninety-four percent clearance rate for the year.
The unit consists of eight case working detectives, one F.B.I. task force detective and a Crime Victims Advocate.  Many of the Unit’s cases are extremely traumatic not only to the families involved, the city and the department, but to the detectives themselves. Detectives were called out after normal business hours 57 times during the year.  Each detective contributed greatly to the success of the unit through hard work and dedication.  The Crimes Against Persons Unit is a challenging assignment for anyone and the detectives of this unit have been efficient, compassionate, professional and hardworking throughout one of the units’ most challenging years.
The members of the Capers Unit in 2009 were, Lieutenant William Brown, Detectives William Ellstrom, Carlos Fernandez, Curtis Hale, Karl King, David Landis, Bruce Marshall, Clint McNear, Ty Schaum, Gray Sweet, Stacy Tooke, Brian Worsham and Victims’ Assistant Advocate Kenneth Walker. 

 
Communications Specialist of the Year - Katie E. Mayfield
Katie Mayfield has been with the Department for 11 years and has done an outstanding job in as both an operator and a trainer in communications. She has trained Call Take and Police Dispatch classes to new employees and trainees along with the responsibility of on-the-job Training.  Katie has also been involved with Computer Aided Design (CAD) upgrade training and implementation, ProQA upgrade training and implementation.
During 2009 Katie received a Certificate of Excellence for her performance in an officer-involved shooting that involved several different divisions within the department.  She also did a great job as the call taker in the officer-involved shooting that took place when a suicidal person was returning to his work place after calling a doctor stating he was going to kill himself. With her quick thinking, she was able to obtain all necessary information from the doctor then relayed it to dispatch.  The officers arrived before the suspect and were able to identify him as he arrived at the scene.

 
Detention Officer of the Year -  Eric J. Pilling
Detention Officer Eric Pilling has been with the department since November 2006. During his tenure, he has displayed an outstanding commitment to achieving all goals set out by the Detention Center in a safe and timely manner.  He devotes much of his spare time to keeping the facility clean and orderly.  He also designed, manufactured, and installed computer shelves in the Intake area.  Eric has the unique ability to safely diffuse volatile situations by using his vocal skills in a calm and authoritative way.  He is witty with the incoming arrestees and manages to diffuse potential situations and even bring smiles to them in many cases.  Eric offers co-workers a helping hand on a daily basis and is an overall asset to the Detention Facility.
 
Civilian of the Year – Rebecca Bennett
Rebecca Bennett has been a member of the Garland Police Department for over seven years and currently serves as the Divisional Secretary for Patrol.  In 2009 she displayed an uncanny ability to become a resident expert on all the issues relevant to the Patrol Division, such as payroll, training, travel procedures, scheduling and the proper completion of the various applicable forms.
Rebecca provides administrative support to the entire Patrol Division including the specialized units within Patrol such as SWAT, K-9 Unit, Bomb Unit, and Air Support. She further provides direct administrative support to the Assistant Chief of the division as well being the point-of-contact for all levels of supervision in the Patrol Division. 
 
Volunteer of the Year – J.T. Glover
J.T. Glover has been a volunteer with the Garland Police Department since December 2008. During the last year, he has logged more than 300 hours of his time, in assisting the Crimes Against Persons Division. This is in addition to Vacation Watch, Pawn Detail and Vehicle Maintenance.
J.T. provides invaluable assistance with his diligent work updating the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Reports statistical data for the Attorney General Office. He has read over 1,800 family violence and sexual assault reports in order to complete the designated forms.  His work ethic and dependability allows his supervisor to facilitate the needs of crime victims in the city of Garland.