The Garden City Police Department is pleased to announce that Christian Whitcanack will begin her employment with the Garden City Police Department on Thursday, November 1, 2007 as the Administrative Secretary to the Cheif of Police.

The Garden City Police Department would like to welcome Josiah Smiddy as its newest officer. Mr. Smiddy was assigned to the Patrol Division as a Patrol Officer on October 8, 2007.

Police Service Aide Kody Quint was promoted to the position of Patrol Officer on March 27, 2007. Quint first came to the GCPD as an intern in June 2005 and was hired as a Police Service Aide (PSA) in September 2005 when the PSA program was developed. Kody Quint completed the PSA training program and was sworn in as a police officer on his twenty-first birthday, March 27, 2007.

The Garden City Police Department is pleased to announce the promotions of Master Patrol Officer Amanda Martinez, Master Patrol Officer Mark Johnson and Patrol Officer Omar Mora.

MPO Amanda Martinez was promoted to the rank of sergeant. On Sunday, January 7, 2007 Sgt. Martinez was assigned to supervise a team of patrol officers in the Patrol Division. She has been with the Department since October 1997 and has served as a communicator, field training officer, detective and is currently a certified drug recognition expert.

On January 7th MPO Mark Johnson and Officer Omar Mora were both promoted to the rank of detective and were assigned to the Investigations Division. MPO Johnson’s employment with the GCPD started in June 2001. Since then he has served as the municipal court officer and as a field training officer. Omar Mora has been a patrol officer since May 2002 and most recently served as a field training officer.

The Garden City Police Department held its annual awards ceremony on January 19, 2007 and recognized employees and citizens for outstanding achievement in 2006.

The following personnel were recognized for their dedicated service to the GCPD:

• 25 Years of Service - Lieutenant Gibson Auten, Systems Manager Marsha Rupp.
• 20 Years of Service – Communications Supervisor Maureen Young.
• 10 Years of Service – Sergeant Randy Ralston, Sergeant Michael Reagle.
• 5 Years of Service – Communicator Linda Garcia, Detective Mark Johnson, Communicator Debbie Lopez, Master Patrol Officer Andy Roush, Master Patrol Officer Lee Stevens, Master Patrol Officer Freddie Strawder, Administrative Secretary Amy Sustala, Communicator Andrea Vargas, Citizen Assist Team Member Tammy Murillo, Citizens Assist Team Member Carlos Murillo.

Thirty-two sworn personnel achieved or maintained the pistol expert award in 2006.

These employees at the rank of sergeant and below have driven for at least three years without a preventable accident:

Gabriel Calvillo, MPO Troy Davis, MPO Amanda Martinez, FTO E.J. Ochs, MPO Paul Pauley, Sgt. Courtney Prewitt, MPO Scott Ptacek, Sgt. Randy Ralston, MPO Andrew Roush, Detective 2nd Grade Brian Ruder, Sgt. Jason Schwaderer, MPO Lee Stevens, MPO Freddie Strawder, MPO Brandy Unruh, MPO Michael Velasquez and Detective 2nd Grade Larry Watson.

Sergeant Randy Ralston, Master Patrol Officer Amanda Martinez, Master Patrol Officer Lee Stevens, Officer Robert Ojeda and Officer Oscar Flores received Meritorious Service Awards for their courageous acts during a structure fire at Pershing Manor in late September. Sgt. Ralston quickly initiated an evacuation plan and officers assisted fifty-five elderly tenants to safety, many of which had to be physically carried down stairs and out of the complex. Heavy smoke on the third floor where the fire started made it difficult for officers to breath and to see. In spite of these difficulties, officers maintained their composure and used good fire safety tactics throughout the evacuation.

Officer Wade Robinson was visiting with his brother and Communicator Krista Brown when his neighbor brought her one-year old son, who not breathing, to his apartment door. Officer Robinson and Communicator Brown immediately took action by initiating CRP, notifying the communications center of the situation and requesting EMS. After approximately two minutes of CPR the young boy coughed up a large amount of water and began breathing. Assisting officers and paramedics arrived shortly after and the boy was taken to St. Catherine Hospital. Officer Wade Robinson and Communicator Krista Brown received Meritorious Service Awards for their life saving efforts.

Citizens were also recognized for assisting officers in the course of their duty. These citizens are Steve Tinius, Ignacio San Juan, Joyce Virgil, Penny Cruz, Gabriel Fierro, James Brungardt, Kenneth Becker and Eduardo Mendoza. Please see the GCPD 2006 Annual Report for the full summary of these awards.