On December 12, 2009, Officer Lawrence Kreisman, stopped several people inside Barrett Brothers Park and inquired if a subject matching the description that the dispatcher had broadcast for a robbery had run through the park.  He was able to advise other officers that the subject had just ran south through the park.  Officer Kreisman continued on patrol and observed the subject at 5660 Kennerly.  Upon seeing the officer, the subject began running, at which time Officer Kreisman gave chase.  Officer Kreisman pursued the subject, despite falling twice, and maintained visual contact, broadcasting the route of travel on the radio.

Based on the broadcast description and route of travel, 7^th District Detectives responding to the area were able to take the subject into custody.  The victim positively identified the subject who had committed the robbery.

Officer Kreisman showed excellent initiative by listening to a description of the subject that was broadcasted by the dispatcher and pursuing it further by asking subjects in the park if they have seen the subject.

Officer Kreisman’s investigative skills and commitment to duty reflect highly on the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Officer Ryan Barone performed his functions with exceptional consistency in all areas of his assigned duties.  He made numerous arrests and led his platoon in traffic tickets and parking tags issued.  Here are few examples of Officer Barone’s exceptional work in the areas of self-initiated activity and radio calls.

On October 26, 2009, Officer Barone observed a vehicle traveling in front of him with expired license plates.  The officer contacted the dispatcher and conducted a further investigation into the license plates, which revealed the vehicle was reported stolen.  The operator of the vehicle pulled to the curb and ran from his vehicle, at which time Officer Barone exited his marked police vehicle and began a foot pursuit. Officer Barone and the suspect became engaged in a struggle, but he was able to subdue the suspect until assistance arrived.  The suspect was placed under arrest for Tampering 1^st.

On November 4, 2009, Officer Barone responded to assist an 8^th District Officer attempting to locate two suspects wanted for robbery.  Officer Barone located two suspects in a vacant house located 5023 Maple.  The suspects were not the suspects of the robbery but they were arrested for trespassing.

On November 7, 2009, while investigating a vehicle accident, Officer Barone’s thoroughness led to a female offender being found in possession of drug paraphernalia and her father’s narcotic medication that she was trying to conceal.

Officer Barone is respected among his peers and always has a professional appearance.  He is an excellent example of teamwork, hard work, diligence and dedication to his community and this Department.

Like I said earlier, it’s not just a single arrest; it’s about consistency and continually fighting the good fight.

On October 21, 2009, Officers Mitchel Simpher and Aaron Gaddis received a call for “Burglars in the Building” at 5149 Lexington.  The officers were nearby and quickly arrived and were able to apprehend two suspects and recover several times, including a 42” flat panel television, a Nintendo Wii, jewelry, video games, DVD’s and CD’s totaling nearly $2,000.00 in value.

These officers have displayed this type of work in the past.  On August 30, 2009, they were two blocks away from another “Burglars in the Building” call and again apprehended the suspect and recovered several pieces of property valued over $1,000.00.

In addition to their self-initiated work, these officers have diligently handled their radio assignments and affected 9 arrests with 52 total charges in the month of October alone.  These Officers have worked as a team in helping to reduce crime in the Seventh District and should be recognized as such.

The Missouri Department of Probation and Parole and the Department have committed to working together in a partnership/supervision strategy to help probationers, parolees and their families address their needs and assist in successfully completing their terms of supervision.

Officer Andre Jackson works for the D Platoon and serves as the Department representative.  As part of his duties, he and a representative of Probation & Parole, conduct twice-a-week home visits (during the evening and weekend) with approximately  35 “at risk” offenders living within the Seventh District.  These visits are conducted at homes, places of employment and schools on random days at odd hours..

The success of this program has lead to a second program, The St. Louis Juvenile Project, which was molded after the St. Louis Project, but is collaboration between the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and St. Louis Family Courts.  Officer Jackson also represents the Department in this program. As part of his duties, he provides intervention and accountability to high risk juvenile offenders to increase the likelihood of  successfully completing supervision.

Officer Jackson has a strong relationship with the officers and the offenders, which has made an impact on the community. He has helped to bridge the path for the offenders and family member’s success on and after supervision.  Officer Jackson’s commitment and dedication to ensuring the success of these programs is noteworthy and sets an example for other officers in the Seventh District.

In August of 2007, the 7^th District lost Police Officer Norvelle Brown, and the loss of a family member is always very hard.

Officer Matthew Welle and his Field Training Officer, Dave Cornell, assisted Detective Donald Williams with the Circuit Attorney’s Office in locating an essential witness for

a murder trial.

Detective Williams was having a difficult time locating Lamont Johnson, III and noticed Officer Welle had completed a Field Interview Report on him.  The detective contacted Officer Welle and asked if he remembered preparing a Field Interview Report on this subject.  Officer Welle did remember and had the witness’s current address.  On August 4, 2009, Officers Welle and Cornell located Lamont J., at his residence and conveyed him to North Patrol for Detective Williams.

Lamont J, testified at the trial and the State received a GUILTY verdict.  If Officers Cornell and Welle hadn’t completed a Field Interview Report on Lamont J., there is a strong possibility that the Circuit Attorney’s Office would have had to proceed without the vital witness.  The trial for suspect Antonio Andrews, the man accused of Norvelle’s murder, was held in August of last year.

Officers Cornell and Welle did an outstanding job in assisting the Circuit Attorney’s Office by providing vital information in locating a key witness for the trial of slain Officer Norvelle Brown.  They should be commended for their initiative.

Earlier I talked about consistency and continually fighting the good fight.  Officer Michael Butler, Officer of the Month for July, is that guy.  Officer Butler is one of the hardest working police officers in the Seventh District.  His proficiency and knowledge of Problem Properties within the District is invaluable and almost never mentioned.  He is truly the man behind the scenes.  Every day he follows up with officers to make their jobs easier by bringing to bear the full weight of all the City’s resources upon the property owners.  Each time he is approached or given him information regarding a residence which has become a nuisance, Officer Butler will say, “Don’t worry, I’m already on it”.  Officer Butler takes care of the matter in a fast and proficient manner.

I strongly feel his hard work and diligence to his job, always giving above and beyond what his job entails, makes him very deserving of this recognition.  Officer Butler is a huge asset to the Seventh District and one reason why crime was down 13% in the District.  That means last year 583 fewer people were victimized in the District.

On June 6, 2009, Officers Joseph Busso and Amon Figgs responded to 2521 Hodiamont for a “Burglary 1^st”.  The officers quickly located the victims and obtained descriptions of the wanted subjects.  The victims were juveniles, ages 12 and 14, who were left home alone.  They provided the officers with pedigree information about the juveniles who had forced open the door to their residence.  Officers Busso and Figgs conducted a further investigation with the information provided to them by the victims.  They located one suspect at his residence, and he was taken into custody.  The suspect was indentified by the victim as the person who forcibly entered her residence during this incident.  The offender was identified as a juvenile and conveyed to the Juvenile Detention Center, where he was held for “Burglary 1^st”.

Although others may have considered this to be a low-priority criminal event, these two officers conducted a full investigation and helped the family find peace of mind.

Officer Busso and Figgs displayed initiative and outstanding investigative skills during this investigation.

During the month of May, Officers Steven Ortbals and Brian North-Murphy arrested 10 individuals resulting in the issuance of 12 felony warrants issued and 5 misdemeanors.  The charges included Tampering 1^st 3 counts, Resisting Arrest (F) 2 counts, Statutory Rape 3 counts (Capias), VMCSL Poss (F) 2 counts, Assault 2^nd, UUW/CCW Federal Prosecution, Misdemeanor Assault 3^rd, and Tampering 2^nd.

The arrest included five subjects operating two stolen trucks.  Officers responded to a call for Shots Fired and developed information from citizens that two stolen trucks were chasing each other in the area and being operated in a very dangerous manner, endangering public welfare.  Officers Ortbals and North-Murphy were able to locate both trucks.  And you’re not going to believe this — both trucks collided with each other trying to elude officers.  All five occupants exited both vehicles and fled the scene.  The Officers’ diligence and dedication to duty resulted in the apprehension of all five subjects and warrants were issued on all five.  One of the subjects was also wanted for stealing a department bait vehicle earlier in the month.

Another arrest was for a subject armed with a .25 semi automatic pistol and a significant amount of Marijuana.  Officers responded to call for a “Shooting”.  After interviewing the victim and noting several inconsistencies in his statement, the Officers discovered a firearm and drugs the suspect had attempted to conceal. A federal charge for a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm was issued.

All the officers in the Seventh District do such good work every day.  Sometimes it’s not just about a single arrest.  But it’s about consistency and continually fighting the good fight.

On April 24, 2009, Officer Joseph Buehler received a radio assignment for a “Burglary” at 5342 Ridge.  In the course of his investigation, Officer Buehler collected information about the incident and obtained detailed descriptions of the suspects involved.  The officer found out that the suspects had been seen in the area earlier that evening in a red GMC pickup truck, which was now parked across the street from the incident address.  Instead of leaving the area after the assignment, Officer Buehler remained to search for possible suspects.  Shortly thereafter, he located an individual matching a description of one of the suspects involved in the burglary.  This person was now working under the hood of a red GMC pickup, so Officer Buehler stopped and conversed with him.  He subsequently performed a computer check, which revealed the individual had an active warrant for “Resisting Arrest”.  Officer Buehler placed him under arrest for the charge.  The victims of the burglary positively identified him as one of the suspects who burglarized the residence.

Due to the excellent investigative and observation skills of Officer Buehler and his attention to gathering information, a 27-year-old criminal with an extensive arrest history — including 15 felony arrests (3 convictions), and 6 misdemeanor arrests (1 conviction) –was taken off of the street.

On March 3, 2009, Officers Brooks Lindhorst and Brad Ellis received a call for a fight at Union and Lexington behind the Gateway Bank.  On arrival, the officers observed two suspects armed with handguns trying to flee.  They apprehended one of the suspects at 5426 Palm and recovered a Titan .380 handgun, fully loaded.  Case was issued by the Circuit Attorney’s Office.

On March 3, 2009, these two officers were on patrol in the 5100-5200 blocks of Terry — an area known for drug activity.  Seeing the officers, the suspect immediately tried to elude them..  After a foot pursuit, the suspect was apprehended at 5208 St. Louis in possession of a Taurus .40 caliber handgun, fully loaded, and 25 capsules of Heroin.  Case was issued by the Circuit Attorney’s Office.

In addition to these two outstanding arrests, the officers have handled radio calls and affected 12 other arrests with 48 total charges in the month of March alone.

These officers have worked as a team in the month of March by helping to reduce crime in the Seventh District and should be recognized as such for their good work.