During the month of March, Officer Stevens was instrumental in the recovery of two guns in two seperate incidents.  On 3-5-2010, Officer Stevens responded to assist other Officers on a call for a “Flourishing.”  Upon hearing the description, he located the subject in the area and recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun, which the subject hid in the area.

On 3-12-2010, Officer Stevens responded to a call for a “Suspicious person with drugs.”  Upon arriving, he was able to identify the subjects involved and again found a loaded handgun in the gangway, where the suspect attempted to hide it.  In both cases the guns were stolen from within the city of St. Louis.

During the month of February Officers Kleffner and Patton have continued to demonstrate a commitment to public safety.  On February 16, Officers Kleffner and Patton received a call in regards to the shot spotter for one shot fired in the area of 1514 Hamilton.  Officers responded to the area and observed a subject matching the description given by the caller.  The Officers approached the subject at which time he attempted to discard a firearm underneath a vehicle.  The Officers recovered a loaded 9mm pistol.  

On February 26, Officers Patton and Kleffner attempted to conduct a pedestrian check on a subject at 1900 Hamilton, when the subject removed a handgun from his waistband and began running.  A foot pursuit ended when the subject was apprehended and arrested.  The Officers recovered a 22 caliber semi auto pistol from the subject.  With the arrest of these two subjects, two firearms were removed from the streets and potentially dangerous individuals away from society.

Police work is about being involved, it’s about being responsive, it’s about helping people…those words describe Police Officer Michael Butler who serves as the 7^th District Problem Property Officer.

The nomination was made by one of Officer Butler’s coworkers after noticing the proficiency Officer Butler displayed while dealing with problem properties is the 7^th District.

Officer Butler’s work ethic sets a shining example for the Officers of the 7^th District.  During 2009, there were 972 nuisance summons issued citywide.  Officer Butler issued 485 that’s 50% of the total….he leads the city in active cases, nuisance notices and hearings.

What numbers don’t tell you and can’t tell you is how big of a heart Officer Butler has, each year he works to provide students at Ford Elementary School with new bikes for academic achievements this year he was featured with Mike Bush from KSDK for the over 50 bikes he presented to the students….and at the holidays, Officer Butler donates his personal time and solicits food donations from local businesses to make sure over 100 families have a very special Christmas dinner.

Officer Butler is a veteran Officer with over 22 years of experience with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and sets a positive example for all Officers.

On January 11, 2010, a female victim was walking on Dr. Martin Luther King at Blackstone to the 5300 block of Minerva when she accepted a ride from a unknown male occupying a grey or “blue-ish” vehicle.  The male subsequently sodomized, raped and robbed her at knifepoint inside his vehicle which he had parked in the alley near Union and Wells.  Officers Frichtl and Murphy initiated the investigation and obtained valuable suspect and vehicle descriptors before relinquishing the investigation to the Sex Crimes Division.

The next evening, January 12, 2010 the Officers spoke to several people walking on Dr. Martin Luther King between Kingshighway and Blackstone and theorized that the suspect may be operating in that geographic region.  The Officers focused their attention mainly in that area when not busy handling radio assignments.  Their prudence paid off when they observed a vehicle being occupied by an unknown male with similar plates as described by the victim.  The Officers stopped the vehicle after it was discovered the plates to have been stolen and observed the male occupant to be in possession of a knife and cell phone, which was later determined to have been stolen from the victim the previous evening.  Sex Crimes Division was notified and resumed the investigaiton.

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.