Dover Police Announce Promotions and Awards
The Dover Police Department held its annual Promotion and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, October 7th at the Dover Police Department. The special night was a chance to honor the milestones and achievements reached by the men and women of the Dover Police Department, as well as a chance to recognize outstanding performances by the members of the department.
Major Marvin Mailey
Mailey is 1993 graduate of the Dover Police Academy and just last month graduated in Class 364 of the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command. He is the recipient of four Distinguished Unit Awards, one Meritorious Service Award, Class A Commendation, and an Exceptional Performance award amongst many others. During his 21 year tenure with the Dover Police Department, Mailey has served in the Patrol Unit, with the DEA Task Force, the Drugs, Vice, and Organized Crime Unit, Patrol Unit Supervisor, Community Policing Supervisor, Internal Affairs, and will now serve as the Deputy Chief of the Dover Police Department.
Lieutenant David Spicer
Spicer is a graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and holds a Bachelor of Science from Wilmington University. He is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree as well. He is the recipient of a Purple Heart Award, Commendation for valor, exceptional performance award, meritorious service award, 8-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award, Officer of the Year for the year 2000, and the 2003 Crime Stoppers Detective of the year along with several other awards. Spicer has served in the Patrol Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit, Patrol Unit Supervisor, and is now assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit as the Unit Commander.
Sergeant Christopher Hermance
Hermance is a 1998 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from the Wilmington University and an Associate’s Degree from the Community College of the United States Air Force. He is three-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award, a Meritorious Service Award, and a Life Saving Award along with several other awards. Hermance has served in the patrol unit and has served as a patrol unit section leader and now a shift supervisor, as well as a member of the Accident Reconstruction team.
Sergeant Randy Robbins
Robbins is a 2001 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and holds a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice from the Wilmington University. He is a 3-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award along with several other awards during his career. Robbins has served in the patrol unit, in the Drugs, Vice and Organized Crime Unit, DEA task force, and now serves as a Patrol Unit Supervisor.
Master Corporal Lance Chandler
Chandler is a 1995 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy. Chandler is a 2-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award and a recipient of the Meritorious Service Sward, along with several others earned during his career. Chandler has served in the patrol unit, the K-9 Unit and is a shift investigator and field training officer. Chandler is currently assigned to the Community Policing Unit as a Section Leader.
Master Corporal Robert Roswell
Roswell is a 2004 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and holds a Bachelor Degree in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts. Roswell is a 4-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award, 2008 Officer of the Year, 2008 American Society for Industrial Security Detective of the Year Award, and 2009 Crime Stoppers Investigator of the Year Award along with several others during his career. Roswell has served in the Patrol Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit as a Detective, and is now serving as a Patrol Unit Section Leader.
Master Corporal Jeffrey Gott
Gott is a 1999 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy, and joined the Dover Police Department in 2001. He holds an Associate Degree from the Delaware Technical and Community College and is currently pursuing his Bachelor Degree at Wilmington University. Gott is a 2-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010 American Society for Industrial Security Detective of the Year Award, and the 2012 Crime Stoppers Investigator of the Year along with several other awards during his career. Gott has served in the Patrol Unit, Accident Reconstruction Unit, Drug Recognition Expert, and currently serves in the Criminal Investigations Unit as a Detective.
Corporal Anthony Toto
Toto is a 2006 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy. He is the recipient of a Life Saving Award, Officer of the Year for 2011, Meritorious Service Award, Military Service Award, and several other awards during his career. Toto previously served in the patrol unit and currently serves as a Detective in the Criminal Investigations Unit.
Corporal Derrick Mast
Mast is a 2006 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy. He is the recipient of a Life Saving Award, Exceptional Performance Award, and a 2-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award. Mast serves in the Patrol Unit as a member of D Platoon and in the Accident Reconstruction Unit.
Patrolman First Class Anthony Griffin
Griffin is a 2010 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies from Wesley College. He is a 4-time recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award. Griffin is currently assigned to the Patrol Unit where he has served the last 4.5 years.
Patrolman First Class Brooks Ogden Jr.
Ogden is a 2011 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy. He is also a recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award. Ogden currently serves on the Patrol Unit, where he has served since September of 2011.
Patrolman First Class Nathanial Warren III
Warren is a 2011 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy. He holds an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Delaware Technical and Community College and is a recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award. Warren is assigned to the patrol unit, where he has served since 2011.
Patrolman 1st Class Matthew Krogh
Krogh is a 2011 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy. Krogh is also the recipient of a Life Saving Award, two Distinguished Unit Awards, and Officer of the 2nd Quarter of 2012. Krogh is currently assigned to the Drugs, Vice, and Organized Crime Unit. Pfc. Krogh’s photo is not included due to his current assignment.
In addition to the promotions of thirteen officers, several others received awards for their outstanding performances and achievements.
OFFICER OF THE QUARTER AND YEAR 2013
1st Quarter:
Master Corporal/Detective Matt Knight
Officer Knight was nominated by Sgt. Kevin Kober when he was assigned to the criminal investigations unit. Knight’s leadership and enthusiasm for the job was cited in the nomination, along with the clearance of four robberies, four burglaries, two rapes, and two shootings all within a single quarter.
2nd Quarter:
Patrolman 1st class, Michael Willson
Officer Willson was nominated by his patrol supervisor, former Sgt, Now Lt. Dave Spicer. Willson’s proactive approach to policing in the 2nd quarter of 2013 led to the seizure of 456 bags of heroin, 3.9 grams crack cocaine, 56.8 grams of marijuana, over one-thousand dollars in drug proceeds, four firearms, and 2 DUI arrests. During this quarter he made 92 criminal arrests while handling 464 complaints.
3rd quarter:
Patrolman 1st Class/Detective Scott Hurd
Officer Hurd was nominated in the 3rd quarter of 2013 by his Sgt. at the time, Sgt. Carl Humphrey. In July of 2013, Hurd conducted an investigation into a fraudulent prescription case that led to the arrest of an employee of a local Doctors office responsible for 42 fraudulent prescriptions for 522 Oxycodone pills. Hurd also orchestrated a narcotics investigation after learning of a heroin transaction to take place in a local hotel. When the dealer arrived, he fled from officers on scene. Hurd, along with Detective Miller, pursued the suspect and took him into custody, also finding 1300 bags of heroin and 4.5 grams of marijuana. In August of 2013, Hurd learned of a drug transaction to take place in the parking lot of the Dover Mall. Hurd established officers from the patrol unit and the Safe Streets officers to investigate the matter. The officers observed the transaction and successfully took all suspects into custody while seizing 182 bags of heroin and $310.00 cash. In September of 2013, Hurd, along with Safe Streets officers initiated a surveillance operation on a nuisance residence on Cecil Street. After observing the subjects engaged in an illegal dice game, officers contacted the offenders and discovered that many of them had outstanding warrants for their arrest. Hurd then contacted Probation and Parole and conducted an administrative probation search which led to the seizure of 72 Oxycodone pills, 12 grams of crack cocaine, 9 bags of heroin, 8 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and $795.00 cash. Officer Hurd was also involved in several other investigations during this time that led to the solving of numerous criminal cases and drug seizures.
4th quarter:
Corporal Brian Allen
Officer Allen was nominated by his section leader, MCpl. Paul Kuntzi of the motorcycle unit in the 4th quarter of 2013. During the 4th quarter, Officer Allen responded to 104 criminal complaints, a high number for somebody assigned to a specialized unit. He also made 70 criminal arrests. On December 3rd, Officer Allen had a shoulder surgery that would normally require a 3 month recovery. Within 6 days of his surgery, Officer Allen returned to work on light duty, as siting the criminal investigation unit where he made 69 criminal arrests, cleared 50 expungement cases, and handled complaints as well. Within a month and 2 days, Officer Allen was back to full duty. His love and devotion to the job is something to be admired.
Officer of the Year:
Patrolman First Class Scott Hurd
Pfc. Hurd’s photo is not included due to his current assignment.
LIFESAVING COMMENDATION
The commendation for Life Saving may be awarded to any employee or law enforcement officer who engages in any life saving or first aid effort which results in the saving of a life.
On January 19th, 2014 just after 11:30AM, officers received a call requesting an ambulance to the 100 block of Morris Drive. The caller advised his daughter was found in the front yard, unconscious and not breathing. Cpl. Fioravaniti, Cpl. Gedney, and Pfc. Ogden quickly responded to render aid to the victim. The caller advised that his daughter had left the residence the night prior and did not return home. The temperature the previous evening was 22 degrees with a wind chill of 11 degrees. Officers immediately began to render aid to the victim, establishing an airway and performing CPR, while trying to warm the patients body temperature until medical personnel arrived. On January 27th, former Chief Hosfelt received a letter from the Deputy Chief of Kent County Division of Emergency Medical Services, praising the efforts of the responding officers. The patient has since made a full recovery with no lasting effects from the incident.
DISTINGUISHED UNIT COMMENDATIONS
The award for Distinguished Unit Commendation may be awarded for outstanding performance by employees of any section, platoon, or unit that perform any action or service which would qualify them for any one of the designated commendations and is the direct result of team work rather than individual performance. The following three units were recipients of the Distinguished Unit Commendation.
Drugs, Vice, Organized Crime/Criminal Investigations/Animal Control
On June 9th, 2014, Cpl. Pete Martinek learned through an investigation that Trevor Jenkins, wanted on numerous weapons charges, was in a residence on Edgewood Road, in the Kent Acres Development located in Dover. Members of the Drugs, Vice, and Organized Crime unit responded to the home and made entry into the residence. The scene was nothing short of chaotic with deafening music blaring through the home, smoke from a flash bang grenade hindering their vision, and an instant attack by numerous vicious dogs that were in the home. Officers immediately contacted three adult males in the home and secured them, while an officer at the rear of the residence observed Jenkins attempt to escape through the rear door. Jenkins quickly retreated and hid in the attic space of the home. Knowing Jenkins was known to carry firearms, officers surrounded the exterior of the home and were engaged in a standoff with Jenkins, that lasted several hours. After numerous attempts to negotiate Jenkins surrender, officers discharged CS gas into the residence. A short time later, Jenkins was taken into custody without further incident. A handgun and a small amount of illegal drugs were recovered from the residence that Jenkins was in. Without the collective efforts of the individuals involved, the incident could have led to a tragic situation. The following officers received the Distinguished Unit Commendation for their actions:
Lt. David Spicer
Sgt. Shawn Harrington
Sgt. Todd Case
MCpl. Anthony Digirolomo
MCpl. Aaron Dickinson
MCpl. Scott Sealund
MCpl. Jeff Gott
Cpl. Pete Martinek
PFC Scott Hurd
PFC Chris Peer
Ptlm. James Wood
ACO Ryan Knowles
Dover Police Honor Guard
These officers are all members of the Dover Police Honor Guard. On April 4th, of 2014, the Dover Police Department swore in Chief Paul Bernat as the new police chief, taking over from Chief James Hosfelt. The ceremony was attended by numerous department members, friends and family, media, business owners, and officers from across the state. The Dover Police Department Honor Guard designed and executed a change of command ceremony that was nothing short of perfect. They are being recognized for their professionalism, attention to detail, and overall teamwork in representing the Dover Police Department. The following officers received the Distinguished Unit Commendation as part of the Dover Police Honor Guard:
Cpl. Kevin Streadwick
Patrolman First Class Justin Richey
Patrolman First Class Joseph Bauer
Patrolman First Class Matt Krogh
Dover Police Records Unit
The records unit is a crucial part of the Dover Police Department and are often considered the “unsung heroes” of the department. Within 4 months, the records unit, composed of 7 employees, saw 4 retirements, leading to 4 new hires. This could have caused a serious backlog and interruption in services to the department and the public. Three of the clerks had to be trained on a new records management system for crime and accident input along with records approval for the LEISS reporting system. The unit led by experienced clerks, were able to educate the new additions, who learned their professions very quickly, resulting in a smooth transition during this trying time. Without the hard work and dedication by every member of this unit, the services they provide to the department and the citizens of Dover would have been affected greatly. The following records staff received the Distinguished Unit Commendation:
Karen Hudson
Fay Parsons
Lisa Hoffer
Jessica Hand
Kelly Morgan
Robin Landry
Brenda Unruh
SERVICE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The service achievement award is presented to any sworn member of the department who has established an exemplary service record for 5 or more consecutive years of service to the department. The following officers received the Service Achievement Award.
SAFE DRIVING AWARD
The safe driving award is awarded to any employee of the department who operates a department vehicle safely for 5 or more consecutive years. The following officers received the departmental Safe Driving Award.
MILITARY SERVICE AWARD
The military service award is given to officers who have been honorably discharged or are currently serving in any branch of the United States Military. Patrolman Willie Johnson is a 2014 graduate of the Delaware State Police Academy and served in the United States Air Force.
DUI ENFORCEMENT AWARD
The DUI enforcement award is given to any officer who makes 10 or more DUI arrests in a calendar year. Both Patrolman First Class Joseph Bauer and Patrolman 1st Class Caleb Rich have demonstrated continued success in this category with this award being their 4th DUI award with Bauer making 20 DUI arrests in 2013, and Rich making 10.
PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARD
The perfect attendance award is given to officers and civilian personnel who maintained perfect attendance throughout the 2013 calendar year. The following sworn and civilian personnel received the Perfect Attendance Award for 2013
LOYAL SERVICE AWARD
The civilian loyal service award is awarded to civilian employees for continuous service to the Dover Police Department. The following civilians received the Loyal Service Award.
CIVILIAN OF THE QUARTER/YEAR 2013
1st Quarter:
Dispatcher Matthew Hawkins
Hawkins was nominated by his supervisor, Christina Kober, the 911 manager for the Dover Police Department. Hawkins was nominated for his professionalism and unwavering dedication to his profession and to the citizens of Dover. Hawkins frequently volunteers for unpopular assignments, including being placed on call or changing his schedule at a moments notice to accommodate other shifts that may be short-staffed and always strives to maintain a professional work environment.
2nd Quarter:
Dispatcher Mark Hall
Dispatcher Hall was nominated by his supervisor and fellow dispatchers in the 2nd quarter for his professionalism and dedication to his job. In once incident, Dispatcher Hall received a call for a possible suicidal subject in the area of Bubba’s night club in Dover. However, every officer working were at another location after a suspect fled into a residence from an officer. Hall made the decision to contact the Delaware State Police and Delaware State University Police for assistance until a Dover unit could clear the scene of the other incident that was taking place. When the officers checked the area of Bubba’s the vehicle was not found. Hall then contacted the mobile phone company of the subject in an attempt to find his location while Dispatcher Hawkins continued to call the subjects phone. Once the subject finally answered, he refused to talk to Hawkins. Hawkins remembered that Dispatcher Hall was trained in crisis intervention and transferred the call. Hall was able to successfully calm the subject down and obtain information about his location and quickly sent officers who were able to determine the subject was safe and not a threat to himself or others. This is just one incident where Dispatcher Hall went above and beyond to ensure the safety of this person.
In May of 2013, Dispatcher Hall observed a group of subjects on the downtown surveillance cameras becoming disorderly. During this time, Hall observed subjects carrying firearms and notified officers working that evening. The officers attempted to contact the subjects, who fled the area but were successfully apprehended. Officers retrieved a handgun and shotgun from the subjects, who were all wearing latex gloves when taken into custody. If not for Dispatcher Hall’s actions and observation that evening, there is no telling what tragic situation may have occurred.
3rd Quarter:
Dispatcher Josh Krumm
Dispatcher Krumm was nominated by his supervisor, Christina Kober, the 911 manager for the Dover Police Department. Krumm was nominated for his professionalism and dedication to his profession and to the citizens of Dover. Dispatcher Krumm frequently volunteers for being placed on call or changing his schedule to accommodate other shifts that may be short-staffed. His ability to work well with anybody, along with his superior knowledge of the dispatcher position is instrumental in a seamless transition when filling in for other shifts.
4th Quarter:
Dispatcher Stephen Kolodjeski
Dispatcher Kolodjecki was nominated by his supervisor and fellow dispatchers based on his superior performance during a call in December of 2013. At approximately 2pm, on December 9th, Kolodjeski took a frantic 911 call stating that a man was beating the manager of a local McDonald’s on the head with a handgun. Kolodjeski was able to calm the caller and get the suspect and vehicle description and quickly broadcast it to the officers enroute to the area along with the direction of travel of the vehicle. Kolodjeski determined the victim needed medical assistance based on information obtained from the caller and quickly transferred the call to Kent County EMS. A short time later, officers located the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. The vehicle fled, leading the officers on a short vehicle pursuit. During the pursuit, Kolodjeski was instrumental in contacting other officers to assist as well as contacting Delaware Technical and Community College and placing them on lock-down because the pursuit entered the campus property. Both subjects were apprehended on campus property and a 45 caliber handguns as recovered. Dispatcher Kolodjecki utilized all of his training, skills, and professionalism to maintain order in a chaotic situation, which aided in the apprehension of the suspects in this brutal attack.
Civilian of the Year
Dispatcher Mark Hall
Distinguished Citizen Service Award
The Distinguished Citizen Service Award is awarded to any private citizen who has performed an exceptional deed or assisted members of the department in the performance of their duties without regard to their personal safety.
On December 17th at 6:45PM, a vehicle driven by an 82-year-old female, left the roadway on West North Street at the rail road tracks. The driver, apparently confused, had turned right in an attempt to turn south onto South West Street, but instead the vehicle became stuck on the railroad tracks. A very short time later, Gale Voshell was traveling the same route as the 82-year-old woman and observed the vehicle on the tracks. Traffic was heavy and flowing and Mr. Voshell did not have the ability to stop at that moment. Voshell quickly called 911 and informed the dispatcher of what he observed and quickly circled the block, traveling down Bank Lane to the scene. As he returned, Mr. Voshell saw the railroad crossing gates come down and could hear the approaching train. Mr. Voshell quickly approached the vehicle and explained to the elderly woman that she needed to exit her vehicle, and assisted her in doing so. When Mr. Voshell and the woman were approximately 20 feet from the vehicle, the train struck the rear of the woman’s car. Voshell pulled the victim in front of him to shield her from the flying debris and wreckage caused by the collision. The vehicle was a total loss. If not for the quick thinking and action taken by Mr. Voshell, this event would have ended in a terrible tragedy.
