MPD The Beat Issue 19 Special Summer Edition

MA KI NG MOBI LE T HE S A FES T CI T Y I N AMER I C A WI TH RESPEC T F OR E V ERYON E

MPDTheBeat

SUMMER EDITION 2019 ISSUE 19

CROSSING GUARDS RETRAIN OVER SUMMER AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS Keeping 7,000 Students at 47 Schools Safe

SUMMER DANCE CRAZE MPD “GIT UP CHALLENGE” VIDEO GOES VIRAL MOBILE POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATES 62ND CLASS

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS SUMMER? JR. POLICE SUMMER CAMP

Officer of the Month A MESSAGE FROM THE

CHIEF OF POLICE Lawrence L. Battiste, IV

Look Inward to Identify Your Own Positives to Benefit the Greater Good

Blake Duke Officer of the Month for May 2019 On the force since September 2018, Duke is assigned as a patrol officer in the Third Precinct. For the month of May, he responded to 90 calls for service, backed on 79 other calls, made seven felony and 79 misdemeanor arrests, and wrote 133 ticket. He made 69 self-initiated proactive policing stops. Read more...

Greetings, It has been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to address you, but it is certainly an honor for me to have the opportunity to do so on this platform in MPD The Beat.

Thanks to each of you for all that you do.

We continue to offer our prayers and support to all of our police-family members who are recovering from various injuries and illnesses; they are never far from our thoughts and always in our prayers.

Congratulations to the Civilian Employee of the Month for May and June 2019 OAI Martha Barton and PSDII Eric Schultz, respectively; and the Officer of the Month for May and June 2019 Officers Blake Duke and Bradley Latham respectively. The City of Mobile, the Department, and I are very appreciative of your service and exemplary performance of duty.

There were so many events that the Department had an opportunity to participate in over the last few months, among them was the Crime Prevention 5K Run/Walk.

Additionally, thanks to all of you who were not shy about the debut of your dance talents in the “Git-Up Challenge” video production, which displayed the lighter, touchable side of police professionals. Me personally, the “dance guru” certainly enjoyed the ADVENTURE.

Bradley Latham Officer of the Month for June 2019 Serving as a police officer for 15 years, Latham works patrol in the Second Precinct. During the month of June, he responded to 97 calls for service, backed on 57 calls, issued 12 traffic citations, and made 17 felony and 12 misdemeanor arrests. Latham takes upon himself to gather information on wanted suspects in the Second Precinct area and attempts to serve felony and misdemeanor warrants on these individuals. Read more...

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs When I consider the foregoing statement, I think that sometimes people search their entire lives trying to identify the thing, the task, etc. that they love to do. Many times people will feel dissatisfied with some particular element of a career that misleads them into believing that the career that they work in is perhaps not what they should be doing. But oftentimes it is not that the career is a misfit, but it is the lack of effort of that person in identifying how they can personally make a positive contribution to the career in which they work. When a greater effort to do so is produced, that effort will yield more gratification.

We should always look inward to ourselves to identify our own positives and then seek to identify how we can use those positives to increase the value of the service that our careers offer. The greatest love in one doing what one does happens when one can see where the selfless use of our talents and gifts benefits the greater good of our chosen careers. With that, I offer accolades to each of you who have chosen this most honorable career and who have dedicated the use of your time and talent for the greater good of the service that it provides.

As always, thanks to Mrs. Charlette Solis on all that she does to promote all of the positive, touchable personality traits of the police department. Thank you, Charlette, for all that you do!

EDITORIAL CONTACT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

Charlette Solis 208.1918 Sergeant LaDerrick Dubose 208.1926

THIS ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS

Lt. Angela Prine, Cpl. Miranda Hayes-Ingram, Officer Alisha Davis-Sonnier, Officer Gary Owens, Tonya Calhoun, Cindy Morris, Meosha Hart, Linda Pitts, Kathy Battiste

ON THE COVER: CRO Robert Clopton Submit ideas and info for the next issue!

EMAIL: charlette.solis@cityofmobile.org

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To fly with the memory of his brothers in blue

Sergeant Zak Ingram recently returned home after being deployed to Iraq with the Army National Guard. After Officer Sean Tuder was killed, Ingram requested a patch for his flight helmet to go along with his Officer Justin Billa patch.

For months and months, Ingram flew with the memory of his brothers in blue. He wanted to keep the memory of them with him. This was Ingram’s way of paying respect to his fallen Sergeant Zak Ingram is a supervisor in the Third Precinct. brothers’ families, especially since he couldn’t be here during the hard time of losing Tuder.

Adolescent behavior training facilitated by University of South Alabama During the month of May, 59 officers participated in Adolescent Behavior training facilitated by Dr. Krista Mehari, licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Alabama. The officers learned about adolescents’ developing brains and their social and emotional development.

Dr. Mehari talked about how trauma can impact brain development. The class specifically explored how adolescents are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, especially if they have experienced chronic trauma, and how that might create situations that police are called to handle. Strategies for helping adolescents to de-escalate and to collaboratively problem-solve were discussed.

Academy Class 62 community service at Animal Rescue Foundation Working at an animal shelter is a tough job says Pamela Brewer, shift leader at the Animal Rescue Foundation. The staff can be overwhelmed with the day-to-day routine and basic maintenance of the facility. That is why volunteers are so vital to the organization.

As part of their community service, recruits from Academy Class 62 volunteered to walk and spend time with the rescues.

“We have been blessed by their contributions and we are so grateful for their generosity and enthusiam,” Brewer says.

The recruits also volunteered in the annual rescue run call “Wiggle Waggle Walk.” It’s a 5K and fun walk held at Bellingrath Gardens.

They helped set up the event, work exhibit tables and direct racers.

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Recruit Frank Turner holds one of the rescue dogs.

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Officers get ‘questioned’ at Junior Police Summer Camp Officers got tons of questions from 18 kids participating in Junior Police Summer Camp as they explored law enforcement. Kids came from as far as Birmingham to be part of the camp.

The lineup of activities included field trips to Communications, Strickland Youth Center and Metro Jail. A visit to Judge Zogby’s courtroom and hands-on demonstration with Mobile Fire-Rescue were also part of their exploration.

Tristan Heathco asks Officer Jerry Williams a question about his motorcycle, as others raise their hands to question more about the Traffic Safety Unit.

“This camp was a success because of the tremendous support from all units of the Mobile Police Department,” said Officer Gary Owens of Crime Prevention, the program coordinator.

Special thanks to Charlette Solis (Public Affairs) for promoting the camp and David Potts (Planning) for making the banners. Owens also thanked Heidi Robinson (Communications), Judge George Zogby, Strickland Youth Center and Metro Jail for helping to arrange the field trips.

Warden Trey Oliver spoke to the class and Captain Stallworth gave a tour, allowing the kids to see the reality of jail life. Nothing was hidden.

Connie Johnson of Internal Affairs prepares Ja’Niyia Peters for a polygraph test. Johnson shows the camp participants how a polygraph works and explains its design to detect the truth.

On the last day of Junior Police Summer Camp, Officer Lawrence Battiste of the K-9 Unit introduces the kids to Pedro and talks about how they train to detect bombs. The kids surround Pedro to pet him.

Junior Police Summer Camp was held July 8 through July 13 for kids ages 9 to 12. Selection was based on essay.

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The camp participants also fulfilled a community service project. Owens required them to bring a canned food item each day to teach responsibility and what it feels like to give back to the community. The kids collected 109 pounds of food and delivered it to Feeding the Gulf Coast on their last day of camp. They provided 89 meals.

Officer Nicey Turton of the Mounted Unit explains the parts of the saddle as she teaches how to equip a horse. On their arrival to the barn, Turton surprised the kids when she told them they have to clean the stalls. Their expressions were priceless! But, Turton’s lessons were to show the responsibility of proper care for the police horses.

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Civilian Employee of the Month recognition Martha Barton, Civilian Employee of the Month for May 2019. Barton is the office assistant for the Fourth Precinct and has been with the department for 16 years. During the month of May, she distinguished herself by completing her assigned duties at a level that far exceeds expectations of her captain as well as the patrol supervisors.

Barton is referred to as the go-to person not only for the personnel at the Fourth Precinct but several members of the department reaches out to her for information and guidance. She is routinely early for work and is extremely efficient in completing her daily tasks. However, it is often the subtle duties that Eric Schultz, Civilian Employee of the Month for June 2019. Serving in the Communications Unit since October 2007, Schultz is a public safety dispatcher II and certified training officer.

He is commended for his exemplary performance under pressure and dedication to the department.

On June 22, 2019 at approximately 5:24 p.m., the 911 operator received a call from the 500 block of Mohawk St. where a female caller advised that a known male was trying to shoot her husband. After the caller was transferred to the MPD operator, she advised that her husband took the gun away from the man. The phone line was then disconnected.

The incident continued into the night as Schultz started his shift at 6:56 p.m. He was dispatching for the First Precinct and Third Precinct. While the channels were patched, two incidents were occurring simultaneously, both with emergency radio traffic. Police had responded to Mohawk St. At 7:03 p.m., the officer advised that the man who had the gun threatening the husband fled the scene on a bicycle, and was last seen riding toward Mohawk St. and Senator St. The officer asked Schultz to

Sergeant Charles Saviak retired June 11 after 17 years of service . Corporal Jack Bishop retired May 31 after 30 years of service. And, Tammy Manzy, who served as an office assistant, retired on June 1 after 24 years of service.

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Barton takes on that many times go unnoticed because of her humble demeanor.

Barton handles the coordination of the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant and ensures that the documentation is correct before submitting it to the grants coordinator. She is responsible for all the extraneous paperwork required for the First Report of Injuries and sends it to the proper personnel for processing.

Treating officers like family is what Barton does and she takes a genuine interest in each of them while maintaining a professional working relationship. She provides positive guidance to all office personnel as well as the officers on light duty to keep the section running as smoothly as possible. On top of everything, she still makes time to coordinate visits from area schools with the next door fire station. have the traffic restricted in this area.

Meanwhile, at 7:04 p.m., Schultz got a call in reference to a report of a disorderly incident happening behind the H&M store at The Shoppes of Bel Air. One person was bitten by the mall’s K-9 security dog. Schultz immediately requested backing for the officer on the scene, and started medical to respond.

At 7:32 p.m., the man who fled on bicycle was located and taken into custody. The officer transported him to Metro Jail on a local warrant of theft of property fourth degree and discharging a firearm.

Later into Schultz’s shift on June 23, 2019 shortly after 3 a.m., he assisted two officers who were in a vehicle pursuit of a person driving recklessly at a high rate of speed. The pursuit started on eastbound Government St. approaching George St. A unit requested spike strips when the driver got on I-10 traveling westbound. Six minutes into the pursuit, before the spike strips could be set up, the passenger tire came off of the vehicle. At 3:27 a.m., the driver was taken into custody at westbound I-10 near Dauphin Island Parkway.

Multi-tasking is a must skill for a public safety dispatcher, and Schultz is recognized for exceeding the standard and remaining calm and focused during his calls. Due to his clear and precise instructions and attention to details, all suspects were taken into custody.

Sergeant Charles Saviak

Corporal Jack Bishop

Tammy Manzy

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Making a big difference in the community with kind gestures

Officer Jayvien Banks pulled over to shake my sons’ hands and give them each an Officer Billa bear. It made all of our day and am so thankful for his kindness and working to keep our community safe. We back the blue! —Nikki Barnickel Location of Experience: Zoghby’s Uniforms on Old Shell Road

Spotted this outside of Tom Thumb on Springhill by I-65 and thought it was sweet, so I wanted to share. Not sure who the officer is but he was autographing something for the little girl. —Tamaran Rigby, MPD Facebook Follower

I appreciate your officers taking time to take a picture with my boys. As many are teaching their kids to hate or dislike the police, I’m teaching mine to respect and hold you guys accountable for helping keep the criminals off the streets and communities clean. It’s not an easy task. My son Jamichael Jr. will be having a birthday party today. The theme is cops and robbers so you guys made his day today. —Jamichael Heathington, MPD Facebook Follower From left, Officer Anthony Williams (Fifth Precinct), Sergeant LaDerrick Dubose (PIO), and Sergeant Michael James (First Precinct) One of your officers [Officer Alexandre Olivier] who wears shades helped me with my Chevy Impala on Thursday afternoon. My tire had almost came off. He helped assist me and my son. He called a tow truck so I could get out of the street. He was very polite and respectful.

Definitely, friendly.

I want to thank you all for an officer who loves his job. Not all policemen are bad. My heart is still full at such an outstanding job he did. Just wanted to recognize him. I believe his car had 343 on it. He really made my day that was a frustrating day turn into a more beautiful day. —Katina Washington, MPD Facebook Follower Washington said she saw the pic on the right posted by someone else saying Olivier helped this man and that’s when she realized he was the same officer who helped her.

On July 22 at 11:30 a.m., Officer Timothy Hawthrone assisted a citizen with watching her child who was asleep in the car while she went into the Chevron at Dauphin Island Parkway and Clubhouse Road to get oil for her vehicle. Then he assisted her with putting the oil in the correct place in her car. Hawthrone went above and beyond his duties to assist this lady and as his supervisor, I A police officer stopped to help a lady who had a flat tire on her would like to acknowledge him way to work right outside my house in Midtown. What a great for his efforts. —Lt. Angela Prine guy and great example to everyone. Car #337

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Mobile DA’s Officer of the Month Detective George Busbee was selected as the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office Officer of the Month for June 2019.

Busbee has presented over 93 cases to the DA’s Office since he became a detective in 2018. He is assigned to GID in the Fourth Precinct. The DA’s Office thanked him for striving to make the city a better place.

Family Night for Recruits

MPD Praise & Recognition

from the Community

The Mobile Police Academy hosts Family Night for Class 62 with guest speakers Erin Cunningham, spouse of Captain James Cunningham (Fifth Precinct), and George Fralic, spouse of Detective Corrie Hoium (Special Crimes Unit). The event was held the night of June 26 at Our

Officer Milne came for my accident today. I want to commend him for his professionalism and kindness. I could not have a better example of the police department.

Jan Laird S. Georgia Ave.

Mobile Police Academy new recruiting video Several units are featured in the Mobile Police Academy new recruiting video. With recruiting being a continuos effort, fresh tools are always needed to attract the best police officers.

Thank you to those at Central Precinct, CyberIntelligence, K-9, EOD, Traffic Safety, SWAT, Patrol, Crime Prevention and the Range who helped make this recruiting video possible.

WATCH NEW RECRUITING VIDEO on the Mobile Police Academy new Facebook page.

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Cindy Morris, training specialist of the Mobile Police Academy, talks to Family Night attendees accompanying Recruit Sarah Percy.

Lady of Lourdes Church, making it a second-time event.

The first Family Night, held December 2018, was created by former Lieutenant Travis Dannelley, former Sergeant Allison Garafola and Chaplain Ed Connick. The purpose of Family Night is to enlighten the spouses, family members and significant others on what to expect with their newly sworn officer. It provides useful information on where to go if they need help. Most importantly, it lets them know that they are now a part of the law enforcement family.

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Chief guides graduates into fully understanding their authority In Chief Battiste’s address to the Mobile Police Academy graduates of Class 62, he asked them by what authority do they have to act in the capacity of law enforcement officers. Chief Battiste then proceeded to speak brief but powerful words of enlightenment.

“For a civilized community to be governed, it must be willing to set rules of governance and allow those they appoint to govern,” he explained.

Michael Coleman walks across the stage after receiving his badge and diploma.

As protectors and servants of the community, he told Class 62 that they must always remember to practice three rules of engagement as new law enforcement officers. First, encourage the disheartened.

Secondly, help the weak. And, lastly, be patient with everyone.

The graduation ceremony for Class 62 was held at Cottage Hill Baptist Church on July 19.

The keynote speaker was Chief Assistant District Attorney Deborah Tillman of the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office.

Katrina Frazier, president of Class 62, speaks to her classmates. The motto for Class 62: “We do what is right, not what is easy.”

During the Presentation of Awards, Chief Battiste presents Darian Pennington with the Driving Award.

VIEW MOBILE ACADEMY CLASS 62 GRADUATION PHOTOS

Chief Battiste presents Osviel Vigoa-Martinez with the Firearms Award. Vigoa-Martinez also receives the Physical Fitness Award.

no hablo español

Interested in learning Spanish?

Call Iris Smith Franklin 251-208-2581 or email iris.smith@cityofmobile.org.

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Buy a Replica of the Circa 1852 MPD Police Badge Badge discovered on battle grounds in Spanish Fort.

EMAIL JOHN WEICHMAN john.weichman@ cityofmobile.org Summer | MPDTheBeat January 2013 2019 - Newsletter Template

‘Summer Cool Down’ program proves effective During the summer of 2018, Mobile Police were constantly responding to disorderly incidents occurring in the Belfast community. Close patrol was always necessary.

Fast forward to this summer, police have received no calls in that area.

A new community engagement program for youth called “Summer Cool Down” made the difference.

With nearly 70 kids, ages 5 to 16, participating, police gave them something worthwhile to do while serving as their mentors. The program was held at the Harmon Recreation Center on Belfast Street for eight weeks.

Officers taught the kids how to identify gang activity and bullying and what to do if they encounter it. Goal setting instruction along with how to control anger and make good decisions was also given. Throughout the program there were career options presented from guest speakers and by going on field trips.

To applaud the kids’ commitment to hang out with officers during their summer vacation, the Office of Strategic Initiatives held a “Summer Cool Down” finale on Aug. 1 at the Harmon Recreation Center. There was food, fun and games including a water balloon fight. Those who took part in the Jiu-jitsu classes Pictured with First Precinct Captain Melvin Jones at the Summer Cool Down kickoff are Office of Strategic Initiatives offered, which are centered on teaching discipline and selfFamily Intervention Team Specialists Katina Randolph, Iris confidence, demonstrated what they learned.

Smith, and Gloria Hill .

Left photos: The Office of Strategic Initiatives arranged a field trip to the Dora Franklin Finley AfricanAmerican Heritage Trail for the kids participating in Summer Cool Down.

They toured various sites of historic importance to the African-American community in Mobile.

Middle and high school participants took a field trip to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers where they learned about employment opportunities.

U.S. Corp of Engineers staff from every department spoke to the participants about their job role and its importance to the agency and country. The staff members also gave them encouraging and motivational words by which to live.

Major Richard Peacock, who is the commander of the Mobile District USAC, selected one participant as a mentee. Major Peacock’s background is mechanical engineering by training.

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Special Column: Officers are People too Written by Linda Pitts

way to “feed his crew.” That attitude has stuck with him through the years and he has made it clear that no one is going home hungry when he’s around.

And if you are one of the elite “chosen”, you can attest to his true talent as a culinary genius. As we in the South call it…good old fashioned “stick to your ribs” comfort food. Some of his gastronomical specialties include 4-5 Meat Lasagna (where he includes hamburger, chicken, pepperoni, and Italian sausage), Spaghetti, Pulled Pork and Chicken. Smooth has been known to cater a few weddings where he goes all out on the spread and has so many pans of his delicious goodness that you would have trouble finding the table.

Officer Earl Smith, otherwise known as “Smooth”, can be found patrolling his beat in the First Precinct on Squad 4. Officer Smith tells me that he has had a love of law enforcement while growing up in Indiana and Chicago and dreamed of becoming a police officer since around eight years old.

Smooth tells me that he comes from a long preserved legacy of “men who know how to cook” starting with his grandfather who was in the Army. In fact, Smooth is a 20 year retired United States Navy Veteran and served as a Captain’s cook on some of the ships that he was stationed on such as the USS Barbour County and the USS Flatley. In addition, he served at the Naval Air Station Atlanta, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and the Naval Cargo Handling Battalion 13 out of Gulfport, Miss. helping to oversee the onshore dining facilities.

It was during his time in the military that he learned what he called “creative feeding” because there are no excuses at sea and he had a standing philosophy to always find a

Officer Smith doesn’t just stop there with his abilities.

He is also known to get involved with charities and demonstrate his considerable skills as an Adult and Kids Comedian.

He told me that he has a heart for helping people and children in particular, which started with his amazing mother who raised 19 foster kids and adopted four children into her family.

Smooth has been a part of many events such as 2018 St. Jude’s fundraiser in Las Vegas, 2018/2019 Cancer fundraiser/benefit with Sergio Dawes, Spring Fling festival, Judge Whiddon parade for the past 10 years which helps special needs children, and the Benefit for Coco Williams. He is also proud to point out that he has helped multiple artists to become successful in their field by bringing them to Mobile to showcase their talent. So when you see “Smooth” out and about on his rounds be sure to show him some love and you just might get to sample some of his mouthwatering ambrosia that will leave you wanting more.

Reaching the 25 years of service milestone Chief Clerk Kathy Battiste and her staff in Records would like to congratulate Jerrovita Jones on 25 years of service!

We are proud to have Ms. Jones on our team. We truly appreciate your loyalty and dedication. Thank you for being a valued member of the Mobile Police Department.

Jones was hired in August 1994, and started as a public safety dispatcher in the Communications Unit where she served for 14 years. In August 2008, Jones transferred to the Records Unit to work as a record specialist and eventually earned the job title of records supervisor.

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MPD’s ‘Git Up Challenge’ gets 1 million views in 12 days

Battling with music is no uncommon weapon for Mobile Police. Our most musically talented police officers have some experience under their belts from dancing in the “Running Man” and the “Lip Sync” challenges. In this summer’s newest dance craze, we reached impressive new heights and have “the best” video out there—so our fans say. In 12 days, our “Git Up Challenge” video got 1 million views on Facebook and was shared more than 20,000 times. Now, who said Mobile Police couldn’t get down with Our “Git Up Challenge” video was directed by the git up??? From the comments, we represented Mobile well!

Charlette Solis (Public Affairs) and Sgt. Tina Zanka (Internal Affairs) with production assistance by Chief Battiste, who appears in the opening scene with the smoothest Sgt. LaDerrick Dubose. Dance instructor was dance moves, described joining the “Git Up Challenge” as an opportunity Brandie Battiste (Victim Advocate). WKRG Arnell to show the humanistic side of us as law enforcement officers. “We Hamilton shot and edited the video, making want to let the community know we are engaged from a perspective it most awesome. Bienville Souvenirs & Gifts of having feelings. We like to have a good time like everybody else. donated the hats and cups. MPD Facebook And, we wanted to do something that would hopefully make the entire follower Michelle Robertson asked us to join the “Git Up Challenge” back in July and there it went! community proud as they see it among others in the nation,” he said.

Crossing guards retrain over summer at major intersections Keeping 70,000 students safe walking in school zones is the job of our school crossing guards. When the school year is out of session they retrain to perfect their skills at the busiest intersections in the city. It gives parents reassurance that their

kids are in good hands. The crossing guards trained at Airport Blvd. at McGregor Ave., Airport Blvd. at Hillcrest Road, Hillcrest Road at Grelot Road, and Cody Road at Airport Blvd. Lieutentant Darryl McMillan Sr. said he intentionally brought stress to their lives for the training to get them ready to protect the students at our 47 public and private schools.

CRO Charliese Grayson (above) and Cadet Katelyn Morgan (right) directing traffic.

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Citizens often talk about their favorite crossing guards. “Love the crossing guard [Robert Clopton] at Burns Middle on Girby and Lloyds Lane; he is the bomb,” writes Tammy Bladstock on a MPD Facebook post. Watch the Shirley Dunklin Story —another citizen-favorite crossing guard.

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