Saint Paul Police Chief Tom Smith to honor department's 2015 Civilian, Detective and Officer of the Year

DATE April 07,2015

Saint Paul Police Chief Tom Smith will recognize those who earned the department’s annual recognitions of excellence and dedication Wednesday, April 08, 2015 at a ceremony honoring the Civilian, Detective and Officer of the Year.

 

The ceremony will be held at the Holiday Inn St. Paul, 2201 Burns Ave., Saint Paul, MN, 55119 and will include recognitions of all the finalists for this year’s awards. Chief Smith then will announce the award recipients. Those in attendance will begin with a lunch at 11:30 a.m. with the ceremony’s completion scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

 

The finalists for the awards are:

 

Civilian of the Year

 

Amelia M. Jensen:

Is nominated for her exemplary work ethic and dedication to the Saint Paul Police

Department. Since she joined the department in 1979, she has worked tirelessly on

various projects. As the Police Research and Grants Manager, she obtains funding for

staffing and projects from a variety of sources. In 2014, the department was awarded

over $1 million under her direction. Amelia also manages the incoming data requests

and is responsible for collecting all of the data from the various units within the

department. She has spent countless hours reviewing hundreds, sometimes thousands,

of e-mails, videos and other data to ensure that the information released is redacted

appropriately. She has worked diligently on the Blueprint for Safety and its success is

due to her commitment, thoroughness and tenacity. She has trained, guided and

educated many, both locally and nationally, on this tool for domestic violence. Another

project she managed was the Violence Intervention Project. Through the many

partnerships that she helped develop, with various non-profit organizations, many

young adults who faced challenges, were able to turn their lives around in a more

positive and healthy direction. Her work has not only helped our department become

the best for the citizens of Saint Paul, but she has played an important role in shaping

the communities to be respectful of each other and to trust law enforcement and see

the good that we can bring to them. Her vast knowledge, commitment, professionalism,

and ability to work as a team for the betterment of the organization are all attributes

that make her such an honored member of our Department.

2014 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

 

Angela G. Anderson:

Is nominated for her exemplary work ethic and dedication to the Saint Paul Police

Department and its employees. In 2014, the City of Saint Paul centralized payroll and

moved to a Time and Attendance Scheduling Solution, or TASS. Both of these major

changes affected everyone in the department. Change is not easy, but she was able to

offer guidance and support during all phases of the project; planning, training and

go-live. Once TASS became a reality, questions rolled in via phone, e-mail and in person.

The Police Human Resources Unit was inundated with problems and concerns but had

less staff to assist due to payroll being moved to City Hall. TASS quickly became more

than a full time job. She worked evenings and weekends trying to answer the endless

questions that employees had with the system. Angela worked well with the TASS team by

communicating both our needs, and the problems that remained unresolved as we went

live. She brainstormed and problem solved with the TASS team and police administration

as to how the system could work better for us. She did not hesitate to question items

that did not appear to be calculating hours or pay correctly. During the frustrations and

setbacks, she tried to remain positive and continued to voice our concerns with TASS

and City HR staff. She worked exceptionally well as a liaison between the City and the

department during this chaotic transition. The professionalism and commitment she

displayed throughout this project are admirable.

 

Diana A. Conway:

Is nominated for her dedication and hard work in the Homicide/Robbery Unit. Diana

joined our department in 2008 and has become a key player in a sometimes very

chaotic, high-energy office. As the administrative support for the homicide investigators,

she is responsible to answer phones, file, track overtime, maintain various databases,

and provide exemplary customer service to witnesses, outside investigators, family

members of victims and other citizens. She is compassionate and sincere when

appropriate, and is always professional. When emotions are high, she is there to

support everyone and provide some calmness and laughter. She ensures her co-workers

have what they need to do their job successfully, from answering technology questions

about their recording equipment, to assisting with the creation of case files, to making

sure there is plenty of food and coffee to get through the long evenings. She is a

nurturer and has such a positive attitude with all, even in a unit where stress and

overwhelming cases are a common occurrence. Homicide is fortunate to have

someone who truly cares and works so well as a team player. She is a valued and honored member of the Saint Paul Police Department.

 

 

 

Detective of the Year

 

 

Sergeant Daniel J. Zebro:

Is nominated for his outstanding investigative skills as part of the FBI Safe Streets Task

Force. As a member of this task force, his investigations often lead him to the most

violent suspects, gang members, and drug dealings. In April, 2014, Sergeant Zebro

became the lead Saint Paul investigator in a case involving the Sinaloa Drug Cartel from

Mexico. Families of three victims were called and warned that their loved ones were

kidnapped and would be killed if they did not give them money or return the drugs they

were suspected of stealing. He began tracking the cell phone data immediately and was

led to a cell phone that had been tossed in a yard. It had a fingerprint that belonged to

someone who lived at a home in the West Seventh Street area, near where the phone was

found. A warrant was written and executed. Two of the victims were released prior to

the search warrant; the third victim was found during the warrant, along with two

suspects. The victims were beaten and tortured as the suspects demanded the missing

drugs. The third suspect was found in Los Angeles by the FBI after he provided information

to them which was discovered through evidence and interviews. This case garnered

national attention and was recognized by both the FBI Director and United States Attorney

for Minnesota due to its complexity and the fact that it was resolved in such a short

timeframe due to great teamwork and fine investigative efforts. His work is well

respected by his colleagues both within our department and within the FBI.

 

 

Sergeants Jeremy A. Ellison and Nikkole M. Peterson:

Are nominated for their tireless efforts and exemplary investigative skills while working in

Special Investigations. In June, 2013 Sergeant Ellison and Sergeant Peterson began an

investigation on cell phone robberies that were tied to ads placed in Craig’s List. Many of

these robberies were assigned to our Homicide/Robbery Unit, but they transferred them to

Special Investigations and began multiple interviews of suspects and confidential sources.

Due to their outstanding interview skills, they discovered additional robberies and violent

crimes that occurred in other cities. The initial suspects then divulged information about

other suspects involved in the robbery ring. For several months, they worked with the

evidence found during the execution of warrants and used that information to eventually

have the main suspect admit to more crimes than was originally thought. It would have

been easy to quit investigating after one or two cases, but their determination and attention to detail persevered and more crimes were revealed.

For the initial cell phone robberies, all five suspects were charged. Another case Sergeant Ellison and Sergeant Peterson were

involved with took down a multimillion-dollar criminal business that was trafficking-in

stolen and fraudulently obtained cell phones, and then selling them for an exorbitant

amount of profit. This was a very complex crime ring that involved multiple agencies.

After months of investigating, warrants were executed in late 2014. The warrants were in

10 different cities and involved over 300 law enforcement personnel. More than 10,000

items were obtained as evidence. Fifteen of the 21 suspects in this case accepted plea

agreements and will serve anywhere from 10 to 50 years in federal prison. This case had

financial impact locally, nationally and internationally. The leadership, professionalism

and true commitment they have displayed in both of these cases are very admirable.

 

 

 

 

Officer of the Year

 

Sergeant Mark R. Ficcadenti:

Is nominated for his tenacity, initiative, and efforts with community outreach in the

Western District. The Western District has a high concentration of the City’s East and

West African immigrants. In 2014, Sergeant Ficcadenti developed and organized events

that exposed this population to law enforcement and introduced to many what our

department can do for them and how we work to help all in the community. The East

African Junior Police Academy was held in 2014 for young adults. Sergeant Ficcadenti

partnered with leaders of Mosques, community centers, properties and schools to

promote the academy and find the best candidates to attend. The academy itself

included presentations, demonstrations and hands on experience. He realized the

value of initiating activities with youth to create healthy relationships, to expose them

to possible careers in law enforcement and to open dialogue regarding our relationships

with their community. He has encouraged positive and open communications

with the community to help deter the negativity that can exist. He has become this

community’s officer and often responds directly to questions and concerns from the

Muslim community. The rapport and trust he has built with them have made him

invaluable to their community. The Imams and other leaders of the Muslim community

appreciate his dedication and integrity, as does our department.

 

Officer Jon J. Sherwood:

Is nominated for his strong work ethic, superb communication skills, and commitment

to our department and the citizens of Saint Paul. As a veteran officer, he has learned

from his past experiences from his almost 29 years with the department. Officer

Sherwood often shares that information with our younger officers including teaching

them exemplary policing techniques, communicating and building rapport with the

community, and paying attention to detail in all situations. In roll calls, he shares

information with all officers regarding persons of interest, vehicles and problem

properties. He is always trying to stay on top of situations and ensures all in the

district have the most up- to-date information. He has also worked diligently with

community relations at the Arlington Recreation Center. Due to his vast knowledge

and experience, the department requested that he provide input at a forum hosted by

the Mayor’s Office. He knows that community outreach with our youth is key to the

success of the recreation center and to the future of its young users. He worked

diligently to make a positive connection with the youth by handing out crime fighter

stickers and baseball cards, and playing basketball with them. He demonstrates such

pride in his work and is highly respected by his peers. His positive work ethic, the

professionalism he displays with fellow officers and with citizens, and his tenacity to

make the department and its officers better each day, are appreciated by all.

 

 

 

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NOTE TO PRODUCERS, EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Media, including still photographers and videographers, are welcome to the event and are encouraged to be at the event before 12:15 p.m. to ensure recording of the ceremony.