LTC 30-2002
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. dC. 2~tJL
m
To:
From:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez ,..~
City Manager 0 V'" (J
Date: February 4, 2002
Subject: POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER AND CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS
I am pleased to advise you ofthe selection ofthe Officer of Year and Civilian of the Year Awards to
two members of our Police Department. In addition, we are providing you information on the
Runners Up for Officer of the Year.
All candidates who were considered for Officer or Civilian of the Month and/or any officer or civilian
who is specifically nominated for Officer or Civilian of the Year is considered by the Police
Department's Awards Board for this honor. The Awards Board reviews all of the nominations and
selects the winners.
Officer of the Year
Officer Enrique Doce has been selected as Officer ofthe Year. Officer Doce was selected based on
his outstanding performance during the year 2001. During the year, Officer Doce received an
astounding 12 Letters of Commendation, 5 Special Mentions, and 2 Letters of Appreciation. These
commendations included an arrest of two suspects who were involved in 50 robberies, the arrest of
2 armed carjackers, a drug search with his dog that discovered over 48,000 ecstasy tablets, the
arrest and subsequent interview of a burglary suspect that led to the clearing of several cases, etc.
The list goes on and on, but one can see that Officer Doce always goes the extra mile in the
performance of his duties. It is no wonder one of the awards he received during the year 2001 was
for perfect attendance for the last 4 years.
Officer Doce joined the Police Department in June 1989. Since 1995, he has been a K-9 Handler.
In addition to his normal patrol duties, Officer Doce is a K-9 Instructor and devotes countless hours
to community events such as school functions and career days. Officer Doce is an excellent role
model and exemplifies the very best of all of us.
Runners Up for Officer of the Year
Officer Bruce Johnson and Officer Michael Pryor received the Runners Up for Officer ofthe Year.
Officers Johnson and Pryor are both assigned to the Police Department's Marine Patrol. In
February 2001, Officers Johnson and Pryor discovered a 28-foot vessel that was abandoned in the
area of 4th street and the Ocean. Through investigation and a to get to the bottom of things, they
discovered that this was one of many vessels that were being used in a large-scale alien smuggling
ring. The investigation turned into a federal case and "Operation Overboard" was born. To date, it
has resulted in the apprehension of 2 smugglers and 43 persons attempting to enter the United
States illegally.
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In August 2001, Officers Johnson and Pryor were responsible for recovering a boat, valued at
$87,000. The recovery of this boat led to the arrest of two suspects in Coral Springs, Florida that
have led to 35 felony charges. In addition to this case, Officers Johnson and Pryor apprehended a
serious felon who had fled from other officers into the Ocean and refused to surrender. Officers
Johnson and Pryor were called to the scene and managed to apprehend the suspect safely by
pulling him out of the water without any injuries to him or themselves. This whole process was
complicated by the fact the suspect was resisting violently and the seas were extremely rough due
to an approaching Tropical Storm.
Officers Johnson and Pryor represent the City and the Police Department in the most professional
manner possible on a daily basis. Their consistently high level of service sets the standard by which
others should aspire to.
Civilian of the Year
Communications Manager Tasha Whittinham has been selected as Civilian of the Year. Ms.
Whittinham is a Communications Manager in the Police Department's Public Safety
Communications Unit (PSCU). She was selected based on her outstanding service during the year
2001. During the year, Ms. Whittinham accepted a promotion to the unclassified position of PSCU
Communications Manager, which entailed her assuming greater responsibilities and much longer
hours. During the year, she conducted CPR training for all PSCU personnel, which provided the
required training and saved the City money by training in-house rather than hiring an outside
vendor. She developed a Quality Assurance Program, in coordination with the City Human
Resources Department that assures our citizens receive quality services. She was an integral part
of the starting of a new Telecommunications Academy at the Miami Dade Community College's
School of Justice. Ms. Whittinham has been a Training Advisor for several academy classes in
conjunction with her responsibilities as a PSCU Communications Manager in the Police
Department. She has received accolades from the School of Justice for her fine work. Lastly, she
assisted a project, which resulted in the writing of new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for
several positions in PSCU.
Communications Manager Whittinham joined the Police Department in 1987. Because of this
dedication, the Police Department's PSCU has notably improved in both operation and
administration. Communications Manager Whittinham is an excellent example of what a dedicated
and committed employee can accomplish.
Please join me in congratulating Officer Doce and Communications Manager Whittinham for these
well-deserved awards as well as Officers Johnson and Pryor for their outstanding service to our
community.
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