Department Awards
Optimist Club Officer of the Year for 2008
In
December 1999 Detective Michael Fry began his employment with the Collierville
Police Department. Initially
assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division, Detective Fry made his way through
several shifts and garnered a reputation of being tough on crime and having an
uncanny ability to remember the faces of virtually every criminal in the area.
Detective Fry was particularly adept at locating fugitives and other
persons who were wanted by area agencies.
In 2004 his undying motivation and knowledge of local suspects ultimately
secured his assignment to the Combined Services Unit.
This unit, comprised of officers from the Collierville and
Detective Fry’s tenure with the
Criminal Investigation Division has been markedly distinguished. He has
maintained his status as a valuable asset to the division and the department.
Detective Fry routinely investigates more cases annually than any other
detective within the division.
Detective Fry’s caseload management is impressive.
Equally impressive is his acceptance of the responsibility of many
collateral duties overseen by the division.
For several years Detective Fry has acted as the department’s Domestic
Violence Coordinator where he maintains contact with victims of domestic abuse.
This role also led him to become the department’s liaison with the Family
Violence Council and the
This
submission for Detective Mike Fry is based not on a singular event, but rather
the culmination of exemplary service performed on a daily basis.
Optimist Club Officer of the Year for 2007
Officer Taylor is an invaluable asset not only to the Uniform Patrol Division, but also to the community he serves. During 2006, Officer Taylor was enrolled in two separate 80-hour training courses entitled Advanced Traffic Crash Investigations and Traffic Crash Reconstruction. He mastered both of these demanding courses and was singled out by the instructors as one of the most proficient students in this discipline they have ever encountered. This training was immediately put to use as he became the lead investigator on several serious traffic crashes, including a fatality crash. In addition to his crash investigations, Officer Taylor was also extremely effective in DUI enforcement throughout this period. He was either the arresting officer or the DUI Technician responsible for fifteen DUI prosecutions in the Shelby County Criminal Courts during 2006. Based on his documentation, evidence obtained through the investigation and his courtroom presentation all fifteen cases were successfully prosecuted, resulting in DUI convictions against the defendants. Most noteworthy of these convictions was a fatality crash investigation that resulted in Vehicular Homicide charges being placed against the defendant. Officer Taylor’s case preparation was so complete that the defendant entered a guilty plea as charged without going to trail on the advice of her attorney. He is well respected by the Asst. Attorney General’s assigned to the DUI Task Force in Shelby County, who describe him as one of the most compelling prosecution witnesses they have had the pleasure of working with in their tenure with this unit. Their records indicate of the forty-five DUI prosecutions Officer Taylor has introduced to the court over the past two plus years; forty-four convictions were obtained during trail.
Beyond those traffic enforcement related tasks, Officer Taylor is very active in several other areas of our operations. He volunteered to assist our K-9 unit during several static display demonstrations by wearing the “bite sleeve” and allowing the canine to capture him as he pretended to be a fleeing criminal. Officer Taylor was recognized for his resourcefulness after he used his personally owned tools and scrap lumber to construct several in-car DUI instrument stands needed for patrol functions on his own time. He was actively involved in the implementation of our digital in-car video program throughout the patrol fleet and co-authored the training outline utilized by officers tasked with using these systems. He is routinely heard backing up other officers on traffic stops or calls for service by his supervisors and has successfully completed a host of tasks delegated to him.
Officer Taylor has demonstrated great dedication to his work, the mission of our agency and the public safety interests of our community on countless occasions. Based on the accomplishments previously outlined, and the dedication Shepard displays on a daily basis, it is my honor to recommend Officer Shepard Taylor for the Memphis/Shelby County Optimist Club Respect for Law Committee Officer of the Year Award.
Sincerely,
L.E. Goodwin, Chief
Collierville Police Department
Optimist Club Officer of the Year for 2006
John "Jay" Forrester studied at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Middle Tennessee State University before beginning his law enforcement career with the Collierville Police Department in January 2000. Jay soon showed a natural ability to make good narcotics arrests and has received specialized training in narcotics investigations. He has attended training in narcotics interdiction, clandestine lab investigations, pharmaceutical drug investigations, undercover operations, and most recently completed a two week "Drug Enforcement Agency School".
Jay has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and a dedication to law enforcement since his employment with the Collierville Police Department. Since his employment began in Collierville, Jay has received many commendations from supervisors and letters from citizens praising his work and dedication to the citizens of Collierville. Jay has been nominated and/or selected as the "employee of the month" four times. This is quite an accomplishment in a department of over 100 people.
Officer John "Jay" Forrester began his law enforcement career with the Collierville Police Department on January 2, 2000. He began working as a patrolman assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division. During his tenure as an officer in Uniform Patrol, Jay made over 130 arrests for narcotics violations. In April 2003, Jay was re-assigned to a multi-jurisdictional narcotics unit where he soon became a performance leader in the unit.
Throughout 2005, Officer Forrester continued to work at the consistency high level of performance he had achieved during the beginning of his career. From August 1, 2004 until April 2005, Jay served as a narcotics investigator assigned to a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force. Jay was the highest performing member of this operation, consistently generating the highest number of cases and making the lion's share of the seizures of illegal narcotics, drug proceeds and vehicles. (During this time, the task force became involved in a large scale investigation that resulted in the first state level Title III wiretap in West Tennessee.) This investigation involved a great number of local and federal law enforcement agencies and dozens of investigators working on the case. Jay Forrester quickly assumed a leadership role in the investigation and served as one of only three case officers, assisting in the planning and direction of the operation. This investigation led to the arrest of three major narcotics traffickers, and the seizure of ten vehicles and approximately $200,000.00 in drug proceeds and other assets.
In April, 2005 the Command Staff of the Collierville Police Department made the decision to withdraw the task force and create our own Specialized Enforcement Unit, aimed at combating narcotics offenses directly affecting the Town of Collierville. This decision was made to more directly address the issues specific to Collierville and Jay has continued to perform with excellence as an integral part of this unit.
Within the first six weeks of the formation of the Specialized Enforcement Unit, Jay conduced 15 CI buys, executed 4 narcotics search warrants, seized over $26,000.00 in drug proceeds, 5 vehicles, and generated over $13,000.00 in unauthorized substance tax. This is over double what our department received for the previous year as a part of the multi-jurisdictional unit. Since inception, the Specialized Enforcement Unit has seized 500 pounds of marijuana, over 8,000 doses of prescription pills, and over 100 grams of cocaine. Jay has been responsible for seizing 24 vehicles, over $62,000.00 in drug proceeds, and generated over $180,000.00 in unauthorized substance tax. Jay's investigations have led to over 200 arrests, with many more arrests pending. Several of Jay's cases have been adopted by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies and he has assisted numerous other neighboring jurisdictions with narcotics cases. Jay is a model employee and his performance has inspired other members of the department to increase their narcotics enforcement efforts. Jay is always willing to assist other officers in his areas of expertise and he has been an invaluable resource for the department. Much of the success of the Specialized Enforcement Unit is attributable directly to Jay Forrester. It is with great pride that this nomination for the Memphis/Shelby County Optimist Club Respect for Law Committee Officer of the Year is submitted.
Memphis/Shelby County Optimist Club Respect for Law Committee Names Collierville Officer of the Year 2005
In
a ceremony held on May 4,
2005
at the Collierville Police Department, Detective Brian Kiersey was named
Collierville Police Officer of the Year by the Memphis/Shelby County Optimist
Club’s Respect for Law Committee.
Chief Larry Goodwin and the Collierville Police Command Staff nominated Detective Kiersey for this prestigious award. Below is an excerpt from the nomination letter presented by Chief Goodwin:
"One of the greatest rewards of being Chief of Police is having the opportunity to recognize the outstanding performance of our employees at the Collierville Police Department. It is with great pleasure that I have this opportunity to recognize Detective Brian Kiersey. Detective Kiersey began his career with the Collierville Police Department in July of 1997 as a Patrol Officer assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division. In 1998, Brian was selected to join the Criminal Investigation Division as a Detective where he received extensive training in many aspects of investigation and crime scene processing. In 2002, Detective Kiersey was selected to attend the National Forensic Academy, a prestigious institution known for its intensive ten week forensic training program. The knowledge he gained during his time at the National Forensic Academy has benefited the entire department.
Brian has shown a genuine interest in crime scene processing and serves as the coordinator for the Collierville Police crime scene technicians in the Uniform Patrol Division. Brian provides training for these Officers and has served as an instructor in departmental in-service training sessions and Citizen Police Academy classes. Brian has also assisted with presentations to the Collierville Police Command Staff and community groups throughout our area. In March of this year, Brian served as a mentor to a student completing a project in crime scene work."
During the ceremony, a proclamation letter was issued by Mayor Linda Kerley, declaring the first week of May as Respect for Law Week in Collierville, as other Town Officials, Police Officers, families and friends gathered.
Lt. David Townsend is Officer of the Year for the Memphis / Shelby County Optimist Club for 2004
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Lt. David Townsend with his wife Tammy and son James. |
It is with great pleasure that I submit Lt. David Townsend as our nominee to receive the Optimist Respect for Law Committee Officer of the Year award.
Lt. Townsend began his career with the Collierville Police Department on February 15, 1995. He was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division where he received specialized training in the area of traffic collision investigation and became a member of the department’s Traffic Unit. Lt. Townsend remained a member of the unit until he was promoted to his current rank in October of 1999. In July of 2000, Lt. Townsend was reassigned to the Staff Services Division as the department’s Training Officer and Public Relations Coordinator. In March of 2004, Lt. Townsend was reassigned to Uniform Patrol where he currently serves as a shift Lieutenant.
While assigned as the Training / Public Relations Officer, Lt. Townsend quickly adapted to his new roll and began to implement several departmental and community based programs that proved very beneficial. He formalized and expanded the curriculum for the Citizen’s Police Academy, taking great pride in the mission of this program as well as the students that participated. He spearheaded the Alumni Association for graduates and provided avenues for these citizens to continue their participation in our departmental efforts throughout the community. He took the Chaplain Program to new levels by expanding the number of Chaplains, the facilitation of scheduled meeting and training for these volunteers and exposing them to our personnel on a regular basis. In addition, Lt. Townsend strengthened our agency’s relationship with the media and created an excellent Web Site for community access to our organization, programs and the delivery of services while continuing to build on our Tennessee Special Olympics fundraising efforts.
As the Training Officer for the agency, Lt. Townsend developed an outstanding rapport with the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission personnel and staff, resulting in our statewide recognition as an example in law enforcement training. He was successful in securing a follow-up grant for the Roving DUI program, which was provided to agencies across the state by utilizing our personnel as instructors. Lt. Townsend also served as the department’s IT network liaison and was the departmental representative during the phone system replacement. He brought a great deal of technical expertise to the table, which would prove to be invaluable during the planning, implementation and completion of the Town wide Communications project.
As the Department Head responsible for managing the Communication System project, Lt. Townsend proved to be instrumental in our success every step of the way. After almost seven years and a budgetary impact of over 2 million dollars, the Town of Collierville is equipped with a state of the art communications system that is being used as a model for others to follow. Lt. Townsend dedicated countless hours in this endeavor in addition to meeting all of the other obligations required of his position. His familiarity and expertise with radio systems and his contacts in this field allowed me and other members of the administration to make sound, informed decisions regarding the progression of this project. He worked hand-in-hand with every department and all of the vendors involved to ensure all of our needs were met and that we are able to obtain the most from this system. His analytical skills and the ability to prioritize kept this project on track. He supervised the relocation of the Dispatch Operations to their new facility and is actively involved in the troubleshooting of system related issues even as we speak. He has been publicly recognized for his commitment to excellence by the department and members of Town Administration for his tremendous work on this project.
Lt. Townsend’s dedication, work ethic and personal pride are obvious to those that have had the pleasure of working with this law enforcement professional. For all of the previously stated examples and specifically his superior performance with the Communication System project, it is my honor to recommend Lt. David Townsend as this year’s recipient of the Optimist Respect for Law Committee Officer of the Year award.
Respectfully Submitted,
L. E. Goodwin
Chief of Police
One of Collierville's Finest recognized for Valor
Perhaps
it weighs only 2 ounces overall. Large ones may run to 4 ounces. But
when that badge is pinned on, there is a weight unknown to most law enforcement
officers, until they are faced with adversity.
Monday night,
January 26, 2004, one of Collierville Finest was recognized for the
Distinguished Metal of Valor from the Highland 100 Club.
It was on June 20, 2003, at approximately 4:42 pm, Officers Michael Riley and John Lotrionte were dispatched to a Collierville residence on a suicide call. It was on this call that Officer Riley felt the "weight of the badge". When they arrived, they found a note taped to the front door indicating that there was an individual in the backyard of the residence who had taken their own life. Officers Riley and Lotrionte ran to the back yard of the residence and immediately observed a female sitting in a lawn chair with a .38 caliber revolver in her lap with the hammer cocked. According to the responding officers, when the female observed the officers entering her back yard, she picked up the weapon and began to bring it up. Upon observing the armed female, Officer Riley charged toward her and grabbed the handgun, placing his hand in between the hammer and cylinder to prevent the weapon from discharging. Officer Riley wrestled the gun away from the female while Officer Lotrionte handcuffed her, taking her into protective custody without injury to her or either officer. Once the scene was secure, officers walked through the residence and located more suicide notes indicating that she was truly intending to follow through on her intentions. “When I saw her, she appeared to be down and very upset, but when I saw the gun going toward her head, I just reacted, my training kicked in without even thinking about it” Officer Riley said, recipient of the Metal of Valor. “We are very proud of both officers and applaud the heroic actions of Officer Michael Riley and Officer John Lotrionte” said Chief L. E. Goodwin of the Collierville Police Department. “Undoubtedly, the bold, swift actions of Officer Riley and Officer Lotrionte averted a tragedy. They placed their own safety at risk to save the life of another, and we know of no greater accomplishment that can be attained as a police officer” stated Chief Goodwin. “The core values of the Collierville Police Department include the Preservation of Life, Professionalism, Compassion, and Teamwork, all of which were demonstrated by Officer Michael Riley in this incident” according to Officer Riley’s supervisor, Lt. Greg Flint. “I just did what I had to do” stated Officer Riley. The department has also awarded both officers the Life Saving Medal at its annual awards ceremony in December 2003.
