NEW CASTLE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

AN INFORMAL HISTORY

 

Patrol Division

 

The heart of the New Castle County Police is the Patrol Division.  Once a recruit graduates from the police academy, he/she is assigned to Patrol. When an officer has several years of patrol experience, he/she can be considered for a transfer to a specialized unit.  The officer will remain in the specialized unit as long as they are productive or get promoted.  Once an officer is promoted to Sergeant or Lieutenant, he/she returns to Patrol.  A sergeant is a first line supervisor with 5 to 10 officers under his/her supervision.  A lieutenant is a first line manager responsible for 25 to 45 personnel, both officers and sergeants.  Excluding Monday thru Friday day work, the Patrol Lieutenant is the top ranking officer working New Castle County.   When a lieutenant is promoted to Captain, a Staff position, he/her sees the Department in a different light.  As upper management, they not only worry about day to day operations of their Unit, but they have to start thinking about short and long term personnel goals.

 

• There is no glory in working Patrol.  Patrol officers are the first responders to all complaints coming thru 911 dispatches.  Public relations in police work focuses on the serious incidents investigated by the specialized units.  It has been said, that as people run out of a burning building, the first responder is running in.

 

• The “Shift from Hell”   3-11 or 4-12 started on a Wednesday and the officer worked strait through to the following Tuesday.  One day off and on Thursday the officer began day work working straight through to following Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday off and Friday night at midnight the officer started Midnight shift, 11-7 or 12-8 for seven straight days.  The officer finished on a Friday at 0800 and came back to work the following Wednesday working evening shift. All officers worked 21 out of 28 days.  This shift worked against your biological clock. This shift was finally discontinued in 1998.

 

Some interesting facts about Patrol:

• Up until 1955, there were four officers assigned to each of the four northern hundreds of New Castle County.  The southern six hundreds were so rural that the calls for service were minimal.  In 1955, one officer was assigned to each of the southern six hundreds.
•  New Castle County Rural Officers, pre-1960’s, were also sworn in as Deputy Sheriff’s and acted as process servers.
• Pre-1966 - County Police were under the Levy Court system of government. 
• In 1966, the County Council form of government was formed.   There were only 22 New Castle County Rural Officers. 
• In 1968, the Director of Police, William Brophy increased public exposure for the new New Castle County Police Department (NCCPD) by displaying the County Police phone telephone number (737-7000) on all patrol cars.  While on complaints, officers would place a sticker on the cradle of the telephone with the 737-7000 number.  Director Brophy also had alley lights installed on all patrol cars.  These lights provided increased visibility as the officers patrolled the communities.   The public responded favorably to the increased exposure and the Department received an increase in calls for service. 
• In 1960’s the Police Department didn’t have a motor pool.  All patrol cars, except when down for maintenance, ran 24/7, 365 days a year.  Because there was no roll call, an on duty officer picked up his relief at the officer’s home and then the relieving shift officer took the last shift officer home. 
• RECOM began in the early 70’s and was originally housed in the basement of Troop 6. The Wilmington Police Department was originally part of the concept of one dispatch center for New Castle County but later pulled out.
• After the last evening shift, all squads had a squad party to relieve the tension of working seven straight days.  At these parties, the “Milk Stool Award” was given.  The award was a milk stool.  The award went to the officer who milked the most complaints leaving his/her sector partners to carry the work load.  Regularly, the award went to the same individual.
• Once roll call started, in the late 60’s until the late 70’s, roll was 15 minutes before the start of an officer’s shift and officers were not paid for roll call.
• No one will forget the contract negotiations of 1975.  County Executive Mel Slawik’s pay proposal “9% and 9%, not a penny more.”
• In 1968, Bob Snow, the first black officer, was hired. 
• In 1972, Jeanette Lloyd, the first female officer, was hired.
• In 1975, Ptl. Larry Larson stopped a vehicle for speeding on Basin Rd late on a Sunday evening.  The occupant of the vehicle stated he was a politician returning from a political event.  While Ptl. Larson attempted to identify the stopped individual, the suspect fled.  A chase began.  Ptl. George Williamson and Ptl. John Jones did a felony stop of the suspect at Hares Corner.  Ptl. Williamson pulled the suspect out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

The suspect was eventually identified as the Senate Pro Tempore of Delaware.  The next day the Senator blasted the Department in the media and stated he was going to abolish the County Police and Ptl. Williamson would lose his badge.  The Senator initiated Bill 252 which passed eliminating the powers of the County Police to investigate serious crimes.  The Department with the help of the Attorney General fought the bill and eventually a jurisdiction agreement was passed, overturning Bill 252.

 During the Magistrate Court trial for the Senator, Ptl. Larson stated he stopped the car for speeding and being suspicious.  The defense attorney argued that, once suspicious was a criteria for the stop, two hour detention questions should have been asked.  Since the criteria were not followed, the Magistrate dismissed all the charges against the Senator.

 The Senator involved lost his bid for reelection.  The person who beat him was the wife of a State Trooper who campaigned that politicians were not above the law.  In the 90’s, the former Senator admitted to one of the officers that his actions that night was the biggest mistake he ever made.  The Assistant Attorney General, who prosecuted the case, was fairly new attorney by the name of Pete Letang.  He went on to have an outstanding career as a Prosecutor and Defense Attorney.  Unfortunately we lost him to cancer in 2012.  Ptl. Larson retired from NCCPD in the 90’s and we also lost him to cancer.  Ptl. Jones retired after 20 plus years and now lives in Florida.  Ptl. Williamson never lost his badge and had a very successful career retiring in 2001 with the rank of Captain. 

Bill 252 removed NCCPD’s authority to investigate Class A felonies.  After a departmental shooting, the Attorney General, Dick Weir, swore in Det. George Freebery and Det. Felex Poppiti as State Detectives to investigate a Departmental use of force shooting. 

• The talents of a patrol officer are seen in his/her knowledge of the sector in which they are assigned.  A good patrol officer knows all the people and all the hot spots of his/her area.  Two of the best that ever worked Patrol were Ptl. Dan Garrabrant and Ptl. Gary Worthy.
• An example of a dedicated Patrol Officer is Officer Kathy Rego.  In 1995, there was a serial rapist terrorizing New Castle County.  A general description of the suspect and vehicle was given to Patrol.  Officer Kathy Rego saw a suspicious vehicle while on patrol.  The vehicle was occupied and not moving.  She did a car stop and conducted an initial investigation.  The identification of a female was found on the driver.  A phone call was placed to the woman whose identification was found and it was determined that the woman was a victim of an assault.  Since the driver and vehicle fit the description of the serial rapist, the Criminal Investigated Unit was called out.  Ptl. Rego worked with Det. Larrimore and identified the driver as the serial rapist.
• There have been four NCCPD Police Headquarter buildings.
• The old Superior Courthouse in Wilmington.  The Courthouse had a north and south wing.  The south wing housed city offices and WPD.  The north wing house New Castle Levy Court offices and the County Highway Police and then the New Castle County Rural Police.
• In 1959 the Police Department moved to 2701 Old Capitol Trail, Newark.  The Police Department originally had one room in west side basement.  As the department grew in the 70’s it took over the entire east end of the building on both the first and second floors. 
• In the early 80’s the department converted an old elementary school into a Police Headquarters at 3601 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle.  That building was torn down in 2007 and replaced by the present Police Headquarters.
• In the 100 years of policing, two officers have been killed in the line of duty.  Both while working in Patrol.  The first officer was Ptl. Paul J. Sweeney.  On October 20, 1972, Officer Paul J. Sweeney was seriously injured in a fiery car crash on Concord Pike.  He died 42 days later after a courageous battle to overcome his catastrophic injuries.  He became the first New Castle County Police Officer to be killed in the line of duty.   The second officer was Lt. Joseph Szczerba.  In the early morning hours on September 16, 2011, Lt. Szczerba responded to a 9-1-1 call for a disorderly subject in the area of Finney Road, Penn Acres. While en route, information was received that the incident involved a theft from motor vehicle and a citizen had been assaulted.  Upon arrival, Lt. Szczerba attempted to detain a possible suspect, at which time a foot pursuit ensued.  Lt. Szczerba caught up to the subject and a violent struggle took place, during which time Lt. Szczerba was stabbed and fatally wounded.

 

 

 

Special Units

 

The Specialized Units of New Castle County Police are the units that support Patrol.  Here is some trivia about the units.

 

SWAT

 

• Established in the mid 70’s but later disbanded
• Reestablished in the 80’s - Original members of the 70’s SWAT team were:

Ptl. Scott Phillips

Ptl. Mike Rogers

Ptl. Pete Kotowski

Ptl. Booker Johnson

 Ptl. Naftali Villanueva

Ptl. Larry Larson.  

• The expertise of the SWAT Unit was seen in a 1997 incident.  A gunman held the police at bay for 48 hrs in a town home community in Bear. The suspect had fired a weapon inside his residence and was believed to be heavily armed.  As SWAT attempted to apprehend the suspect standing in front of his residence.  The suspect went for a weapon in his pocket.  S/Sgt. Jack Reyes instinctively ran and tackled the suspect as the suspect was drawing a weapon.  By his actions of S/Sgt. Reyes apprehended a dangerous armed suspect without incident.  Many, including the media, described the tackle as worthy of being a highlight on NFL films.

 

Crime Analysis Unit

 

• The Department started addressing crime trends during the mid 70’s.   Sgt. Ed Kotz and Sgt. Chuck Stirk were the first officers involved with the initial program.  Due to its success, the program evolved into the Crime Analysis Unit. 

 

Community Service Unit

 

• During the mid 70’s, the Community Services Unit was started.  The supervisor was Sgt. Bill Honey, ½ politician and ½ cop.  His expertise in dealing with the public was unbelievable.  Sgt. Honey initiated the Departments concept of working directly with civic associations and civic leaders.  The Community Services Unit not only worked with the civic associations, but south of the canal the unit provided a school resource officer, a DARE officer and a GREAT officer. From the late 80’s until the mid 90’s Cpl. Butch Lefevre was the DARE officer in southern New Castle County.  He had a very direct and positive influence on the youth of the southern New Castle County. During the 70’s and 80’s Ptl. Ed DiSabatino, of the Community Services Unit did daily traffic reports for a local radio station by helicopter.  In the last 15 years, the Community Services Unit has developed two educational programs that have received national attention by being nominated for the TOP Cops Award.  The first program was Heroin Alert.  This program was developed by Sgt. Tony Hernandez.  Sgt. Hernandez, paramedic, Karl Hitchens, and a parent who lost a child to Heroin, told the hard facts about heroin addiction.  The second program was SLAM, Students Learn about Mortality.

 

Mounted Unit

 

One of the Department’s most prestigious units is the Mounted Unit.  After much controversy over funding, the Mounted Unit was started in 1981.  The Department’s Mounted Unit received training from the Wilmington Police Mounted Unit, which was disbanded three years later.  NCCPD original Mounted Unit was Sgt. Jim Sharkey, Ptl. Francis Swift, Ptl. James Weston, Ptl. Gerry Conwary, Ptl. Ralph Dangello, and Ptl. Naftali Villanueva.  People assumed that the Mounted Unit is strictly for parades and crowd control, but the Mounted regularly works Patrol doing traffic enforcement.  Officers who have won National Mounted competitions:

1990 Cpl. Clarke-Uniform                     2001 Officer Davis-Uniform

1993 Officer Setting-Uniform               2003 Officer Hoff-Uniform

1998 Officer Davis-Uniform                  2004 Officer Brown-Uniform

1999 Officer Shriner-Equitation           2005 Cpl. Hill-Uniform

1999 Officer Purse-Uniform                  2012 Officer Baerga-Uniform

 

 

Goon Squad

 

Presently the Department addresses hot spots of criminal activity with a Jump Squad.  In 1978 the Department addressed the same problem with the GOON Squad.  The original squad was very affective in dealing with repeat criminal activity in communities.  The original members of the GOON Squad were Ptl. Dave Stewart, Ptl. Larry Larson, Ptl. Terry Lake, and Ptl. Gary Overstreet.

 

K9

 

In 1986 New Castle County Police trained the first officer with a canine partner.   The officer was Ptl. Stan Downward and his partner was a Bloodhound named Jesse.  Now the Department has a canine officer assigned to every squad.  Canines are used regularly to find missing persons, fleeing suspects, and illegal drugs.  

 

Walking Patrol

 

During the late 80’s the Department put walking patrols in high crime areas.   The first walking patrol was in Brookmont Farms.  Four of the original officers were Off. Charles Parker,  Off. Joe Berg,  Off. Tom Darby and  Off. Phil Davis.  The walking patrols were called Zebra Units.  The success of the Zebra patrol led to the DOORS patrol.  The acronym was for Dunleith, Overview Gardens, Oakmont, Rosegate and Simond Gardens walking patrol.

 

Traffic Services

 

When a citizen complains about a continuing traffic issue the Traffic Services Unit does specialized enforcement to correct the problem.   Also, the Traffic Services Unit investigates all fatal accidents.  The original Traffic Unit was started in the early 1970’s and was called the Selective Enforcement Unit.  The first Sergeant was John McCarnan.  The Unit had two sections: ASAP (Alcohol Safety Action Project).   Ptl. Gula and Ptl. Miller worked DUI enforcement five days a week from 1900-0300 (BAC then was .15).  The second was traffic enforcement. Ptl. Derrick and Ptl. Bill Gallagher did traffic enforcement and were primary officers for any fatal accidents. 

 

 

 

Criminal Investigative Unit

 

Many would say that the glory in police work comes from working in the Criminal Investigative Unit.  The Criminal Investigative Unit has had the following specialized units: Major Crimes, Persons Crimes, Property Crimes, Drug Unit, Family Services, and Evidence Detection Unit. 

 

• The detectives of the early 70’s forged the path of the Criminal Investigative Unit.  Detectives like Bill Hedrick, Ron Casper, Bill Fountain, Ed Dreher, Dave Hearn, George Freebery, Felix Poppiti, John Adamowski, Manny Queen, and Tom Gullet.  These men set the standard for the next generation. The next generation bought the Department local, state and national recognition. 
• In the early 70s, the Drug Unit was started. The original members were Ed McGinty, Handley Orr, Art Birch and Joe Testa. 
• One of the interesting cases from the infancy of the Criminal Investigative Unit was an undercover assignment of Cpl. Joe McNair.   Joe McNair went undercover as employee of the General Motors Plant on Boxwood Rd.  As he worked the line, he investigated loan sharking and drug dealing within the GM plant.  His undercover assignment led to numerous loan sharking and drug arrests.  The investigation ended when a GM employee recognized Joe as having arrested him in the city of Wilmington.
• Today TV dramas portray the glory of crime scene investigation.   In the late 70’s the Department had technicians collecting and processing evidence at all major crime scenes.  By the early 80’s, each patrol squad had an evidence technician.  The original technicians were Bruce Taylor, Jerry Christian, Ron Webb and Gerry Toner.
• The Department’s first Youth Aid unit started in the late 70’s and worked out of the DeLaWarr Community Center.  Two of the original detectives were Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Ptl. Paul Smith and Ptl. Janet Smith.
• When Lt. Dennis Godek commanded the Criminal Investigation Unit, he had two rules that if not followed would result in an immediate transfer.  No telephone should ring more three times before being answered and if another agency or Patrol officer walks through the door, drop what you are doing an assist them.  That policy built a working relationship with agencies locally, statewide and federally.
• For years, the Department has worked on task forces with state and federal agencies.  Each task force was directed at specific criminal activity.  Three specific task forces were:  Middle 70’s a joint wiretapping operation with Det. Ron Albence working with other state agencies and the FBI.   The task force successfully centered on the Pagans and their President, Don Trott. In the late 70’s was “Fly Trap.” Det. Ron Albence, Det. Scott Rees, and Det. Mike Terranova worked “Fly Trap,” Other agencies included WPD, Newark PD, DSP and the FBI.  The operation included running several store fronts buying stolen property.  128 defendants were arrested.  Det. Mike Terranova work “Pariah,” an undercover operation targeting the Pagan motorcycle club.  A federal investigation that ranged from New York to Mytle Beach SC.  Major mother club members were taken down by the investigation.
• One of the largest marijuana arrests was made in 1981 by Det. Jim Riggs and Det. Tom Bailor.  While returning from dinner, a truck cut them off on 1-295.  They stopped the truck and did consent search of the enclosed bed.  Found inside the enclosed bed was 1,800 pounds of marijuana in route to New York City.  The street value of the drugs was over $900,000 .
• The expertise of many of the New Castle County Detectives has earned the Department state and national recognition.
• Serial Murder – After multiple homicides in both State and County jurisdictional areas, County Detectives, under the supervision Det. J. R. Hedrick, placed a fairly new female officer, Renee Lano, undercover as a prostitute working the Rt 13 and Rt 40 areas.  Officer Lano was able to remove carpet fibers through an open window of a van owned by Steven Pennell.  The fibers were a match for fibers found on one of the homicide victims.  Her work initiated a joint task force led by Det. Hedrick, NCCPD, and Det. Joseph Swisky, DSP.  A two year investigation led to the arrest and conviction of Steven Pennell as a serial killer.   Five homicides were cleared by the investigation.  A State Senate Proclamation was awarded for the investigation.  Also, Sgt. Hedrick was awarded the MBNA, Officer of the Year, for the investigation.
• Serial Rapist – Det. Craig Weldon investigated two rapes a week apart.  His investigation led to a suspect arrested for being a peeping tom.  A surveillance of the suspect lead to his arrest.  DNA samples linked the suspect to 4 rapes.  Det. Weldon was Crime Stoppers Detective of the year 1999 for this case.
• From the late 80’s through the 90’s, two detectives were recognized as the best homicide investigators in the state, Det. John Downs and Det. Scott McLaren.  Det. McLaren was Crime Stoppers Detective of the Year in 1993 for his investigation of Elizabeth Girardi homicide. 
• In the early 90’s, the work of a property crime investigator set the standard for others to follow.  With a clearance rate of over 91%, this detective handled over 200 cases in a year.  For this, Det. George Williamson was Crime Stoppers Detective of the Year in 1990.
• The very first investigators of family based sex crimes and domestic violence set the standard for a new area of investigation.  Det. Ed Maxwell and John Humphries.  For is expertise Det. Humphries was Crime Stoppers Detective of the Year in 1987.
• Missing persons investigations are very emotional crimes.  The Department has had two Detectives receive the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Award.  The first was Det. Rand Townley for his persistence in locating missing persons during the 90’s.  The second was Det. Jeff Shriner in 2009.  A parental abduction initiated an 18 month investigation that involved numerous federal agencies.  Finally the children were found in Nicaragua and the defendant was extradited back to the United States and prosecuted federally.  Jeff also received a special citation from Parade Magazine and the International Chief of Police Association.
• Det. Scot McLaren received the very first International Chief of Police Award in 1996.  Det. McLaren’s investigation resulted in the conviction of two white males for hate crimes.  The hate crimes centered around two white males shooting at a black male looking for an apartment in their neighborhood.
• In 1995, Det. Bruce Pinkett and Det. Quinton Watson had an informant tell them that a murder suspect was living in the woods under the I-495 bridge in Wilmington.  Their investigation found that Larry Donald George was wanted for attempted murder and murder in Alabama.  His case had been profiled on Unsolved Mysteries and America’s Most Wanted.  Both detectives went into the woods carrying fishing poles.  They apprehended the suspect without incident.  They received the Top Cops award for the apprehension. 
• The Department was at the forefront in passing legislation both state and federally that included strict guidelines for arrest of domestic violence crimes.  The person behind the push was Major Sherry Freebery.  Major Sherry Freebery and the people working for her received national recognition for their work in bring to the forefront domestic violence and changing the procedures for domestic violence investigations (International Association of Police, Presidential Citation, and the Annual Trailblazer award).