Chief’s Awards
In December 2018, Mr. Nelson heard a commotion in the hallway near his classroom and immediately ran to help. He witnessed a dog biting the hand of a student and pulling at her. The dog had apparently bitten several students. Mr. Nelson grabbed the dog by the scruff of his neck and harness, causing the dog to release his bite. He took control of the dog and led him out of the building.
Today we recognize Mr. Nelson for his quick action that prevented further injuries. He responded quickly, with no regard for his own safety, and is truly deserving of this recognition for his bravery.
In December 2018, Officer Moreno responded to a 911 call of a possible overdose. He was the first to arrive on scene, and came upon a female victim who was unconscious and not breathing. He took immediate action and began CPR. Officer Moreno continued administering aid until the fire department arrived. Using Naloxone, SFD was able to revive the overdose victim.
Without Officer Moreno’s quick actions, it’s likely this victim would not have survived.
Thank you, Officer Moreno. Your quick actions helped save a life.
Detective Atkinson is being recognized for his work on a Sexual Assault investigation, involving a computer that had been recovered by DHS containing images and videos of a female being sexually assaulted. His comprehensive investigation led to the identification of the victim, and ultimately, the arrest of the suspect in Tacoma. The suspect was charged with Voyeurism, Rape in the Second Degree and Indecent Liberties.
This is just one example of the outstanding work completed by Detective Atkinson. Since his assignment to SAU in October 2017, he has shown the highest standards of performance in all aspects of criminal follow-up investigations.
Thank you, and great work!
This past December, Officer Beard was one of the responding officers to a missing 11-year-old who had climbed out of his bedroom window using tied up sheets as a rope. He was located in a tree at a nearby park and was yelling for help. It was nighttime, cold and raining. The child was stuck and could not climb down the wet tree.
Officer Beard was able to establish a good rapport with the child and calmly convinced him to allow him to help. He climbed up the tree to reassure the child, and helped him make his way down the slippery tree to safety.
Officer Beard recognized the child was in danger of slipping and falling, and acted without hesitation. As his Sergeant so eloquently stated, Officer Beard’s performance was literally, “Above and beyond.”
On the evening of December 16, 2018, Officers responded to a call at Lockhaven Marina. A gentleman had taken his dogs to the marina for some exercise. His wife and two kids later arrived at the marina and only saw one dog. Officers arrived on scene, and located the man and his dog beneath a boat, submerged under 17 feet of water. They were brought to the surface. Our officers worked with SFD to render CPR. Sadly, they couldn’t save his life.
Officers immediately shielded the family from the scene and provided comfort. They even made arrangements for the deceased dog and paid for the cremation at their own expense.
This was a very difficult scene, but our officers remained focused, professional and compassionate. we are incredibly proud of the work done by our Harbor Unit, West Precinct and Chaplain.
Thank you for your outstanding work.
Pictured: Sergeants Dale Giese, Doug Harris and Scott Schenck, and Officers Joe Cepeda, Zsolt Dornay, Brian Muoio, Oliver Murphy, Rueben Omelanchuk, Kevin Oshikawa-Clay, John Paquette, Scott McGlashan and Chaplain Charlie Scoma.
National Telecommunicators Week
Often unheralded our Communications Center is an invaluable part of the Seattle Police Department, and usually the first point of contact during an emergency. Last year, our Communications Team answered nearly 460,000 calls for service. Thank you for all you in service to our great city!
Mayor Durkan and Chief Best Announce Plan to Relaunch Seattle’s Community Service Officer Program
After extensive input from community, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Chief of Police Carmen Best announced the City of Seattle will relaunch its Community Service Officer Program and the Seattle Police Department will hire 12 new Community Services Officers (CSOs), including two supervisors, to help residents and businesses involved in non-criminal calls navigate services, engage with communities and neighborhoods, and support programming for at-risk youth.
The CSO program previously operated for 33 years, until 2004, when it was discontinued due to budget limitations. In the 2017-18 Biennial Budget, the Seattle City Council set aside funding for Community Service Officer (CSO) program development in 2017 and initial implementation in the second quarter of 2018. Mayor Durkan’s 2018 budget provided the resources needed to implement a new CSO Program under the vision of Chief Best.