DistrictI Police Officer of the Month
August2012
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| Police Officer Frank Digiovanni |
On August 18th, 2012, a man reported to Officer Digiovanni that he had been robbed by two men at Chillum Road and Queenstown Drive in Hyattsville. One suspect had asked if he could borrow the victim’s cell phone. When the victim handed over his phone he was grabbed around his neck by a second suspect. The suspects demanded money. The victim told the suspects he didn’t have any cash. That’s when one suspect hit the victim in the face with a closed fist and they ran away with his backpack. Officer Digiovanni conducted an area canvass and observed two men matching the suspects’ descriptions. Officer Digiovanni stopped both men. During the course of the interview, Officer Digiovanni noticed one of the suspects was carrying the backpack that was taken from the victim. The victim positively identified the suspects. Due to his rapid response to the scene and the investigatory stop, the suspects were arrested and charged with armed robbery.
DistrictII Police Officer of the Month
On August 22nd, 2012, Corporals Raynes and Smith observed a blue Chevy Tahoe failing to stop for a stop sign at Woodstream Court and Woodstream Drive. As they attempted to stop the vehicle, it pulled to the curb, and a rear passenger bailed out. Corporals Raynes and Smith focused on the vehicle and the remaining two passengers. The corporals approached the vehicle and observed a small handgun in plain view on the rear seat. Both passengers were removed and arrested. Corporals Raynes and Smith recovered a loaded .380 Bersa Thunder and a .410 Mossberg shotgun. Due to their excellent restraint and sound judgment, two additional firearms are now off the streets of Prince George’s County.
DistrictIII Police Officer of the Month
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| Police Officer Marvin Ticas |
On August 13th, 2012, Officer Ticas conducted an area check at the Foot Locker store at Martin Luther King Avenue and Bellehaven Drive in Landover, because of prior robberies that occurred during tennis shoe releases. Officer Ticas observed three suspects holding a group of citizens face down on the ground at gunpoint while rifling through their pockets and removing their personal items. When the suspects saw Officer Ticas’ marked police cruiser, they fled on foot. Ticas caught one of the suspects after a brief chase. That suspect was positively identified by the victims. This crime could have easily had a violent ending, but due to Officer Ticas’ keen observation, attention to duty and quick actions in communicating with his squad, he was able to foil an armed robbery.
DistrictIV Police Officer of the Month
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| Police Officer David Gross |
On August 19th, 2012, Officer Gross conducted a premise check at a Budget Inn Motel in Temple Hills. He observed an unoccupied black Mercedes which matched the description given for recent purse thefts at gas stations throughout Prince George’s County. Officer Gross confirmed the car had been stolen. He spoke with the motel manager, who reviewed the video surveillance, which showed the occupants exit the vehicle and enter a hotel room. Officers responded to the room and could smell a strong odor of marijuana. One suspect attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended. During the vehicle impound, Officer Gross discovered several purses in the trunk. Due to his sound patrol techniques, Officer Gross was able to recover a stolen vehicle, a small amount of narcotics and make two arrests. This arrest alone led to the successful closure of six incidents involving purse thefts.
DistrictV Police Officer of the Month
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| Police Officer Matthew Hansen |
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| Police Officer Joseph Polnac |
On August 25th, 2012, Officer Hansen and Officer Polnac were dispatched to the High’s Convenience Store for a report of a suspicious person. When they arrived, they saw a man standing outside of the store. A warrant check was conducted with negative results and the man was sent on his way. Once inside the convenience store, Officers Hansen and Polnac observed the store clerk and another man standing side by side. The store clerk discreetly gestured that the man had a gun. After observing this, Officer Hansen and Officer Polnac attempted to place the suspect into custody. The suspect began to resist arrest. Officer Hansen and Officer Polnac managed to gain control of the suspect and place him under arrest. Further investigation revealed that the first man outside the store was the lookout person while the robbery was taking place. He was later arrested a short distance away. As a result of their investigative skills and decisive actions, two robbery suspects were apprehended.
DistrictVI Police Officer of the Month
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| Police Officer First Class Fredys Castro-Rivas |
On August 6th, 2012, while working secondary employment at the Value Village Thrift Store in Lewisdale, Officer Castro-Rivas was approached by a frightened father who said he had lost sight of his eight year-old daughter in the store. Officer Castro-Rivas searched the store for the child, with no luck. He advised Public Safety Communications of the situation and broadcast a look out for the child. Officer Castro-Rivas and the father then began to search the neighborhood. A short time later, the officer observed the missing girl holding hands with an unknown adult male in a neighborhood park. As Officer Castro-Rivas approached the two, the missing child pulled away and ran shouting for her father. During the course of the investigation, Officer Castro-Rivas learned the suspect had lured the child from the store and had intentions to sexually assault her. The suspect was arrested. Thanks to Officer Castro-Rivas’ quick response and sound tactics, an innocent child was safely returned to her father.
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I see this popping up a lot. "We need to respect other people's views" or "we need to respect other people's opinions". No, we really don't. PEOPLE deserve respect. The fact that they have the right to an opinion or belief deserves a certain amount of respect. But the opinion, view itself? No. Someone can have respectable views, but giving out respect for any opinion as a default is a really bad idea.I'm gay, in case that has somehow slipped by you. And people have presented me, often, with the "view", "belief", or "opinion" that I should be: