Behind and Beyond the Badge: Stories from the Village of First Responders with Cops, Firefighters, Dispatchers, Forensics, and Victim Advocates

By Donna Brown

There is so much more to a police officer’s badge, to any badge that all first responders wear. But that’s what the world sees—a badge. What’s behind and beyond that badge is what people need to know—the person.

In BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE, Donna Brown takes you to those places that few see. She shows you t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna Brown
• Release date: Jun 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781943106141

Donna Brown

Donna Brown began her twenty- six-year career in law enforcement when women were still relatively new to the profession. Like most new police officers, Donna began her career working the streets answering calls for service. She then started training new recruits and turned that passion into teaching department wide, at the academy, and to community groups. When she was promoted to sergeant, she remained on the streets and continued training new recruits. Career progression moved Donna to the Criminal Investigation Division where she spent fifteen years, ten years supervising the Homicide Unit. Donna received the Tallahassee Police Department'saward for bravery and the inaugural Commander and Chief's Award for Excellence, which at that time was the department's award for Officer of the Year. She was also recognized for her part with the Tallahassee Police Department's team that responded to South Florida days after Hurricane Andrew devastated that area. Donna knows that there is so much more behind the badge that people don't realize or understand. She had spent much of her career speaking to citizen groups in hope of educating and broadening minds about law enforcement. She grew up in Titusville, Florida, when the space industry was flourishing. Return trips are not as frequent as she'd like, but it's a place that she will always consider home. After graduating from Astronaut High School, she moved to Tallahassee, Florida, obtaining her bachelor of science degree from Florida State University in 1979. She's a proud Seminole! Donna is married, and together, they enjoy spending time with their four-legged fur babies, friends, and family, as well as playing golf.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Preface

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

Sergeant Donna Brown

Captain Kelly Burke

Lieutenant Dewey Riou

Special Agent Floy Turner

Captain Charles Newlin

Lieutenant Dorita Gavin

Officer Hoyt Schmidt

Deputy Brettina Adams

Officer Mike Strickland

Officer Kathy McDaris

Sergeant Stephen Vaughn

Officer Lisa Pontoriero

Officer Tyler Hall

THE VILLAGE OF FIRST RESPONDERS

Nicole Romans Hall

Roger Hawkes

Leslie Norcross Miller

Lieutenant Frank Mohr

Natalia Duran

Dr. David Bellamy

Fire Battalion Chief Sharon Lippman

Dr. Patrick Smith

Bibliography

About the Author: DONNA BROWN

"In BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE, Brown offers a riveting probe into the inner trials and tribulations that many members of the law enforcement community endure during the course of their public service careers. The author applies her honed investigative skills to put the human dimension on full display. She artfully draws back the curtains that shroud the inner sanctuary of the police world and then escorts the reader into that inner circle. In one sense, this book is the law enforcement version of Dante’s Inferno. Some travelers emerge relatively unscathed; others grapple mightily with their inner turmoil. Eventually, they forge ahead and gain passage to an entirely new path in their journey through life."

DR. BILL DOERNER

Professor (Retired)

College of Criminology & Criminal Justice

Florida State University

Author of Victimology and Introduction to Law Enforcement: An Insider’s View

"BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE is a marvelous collection of stories coming straight from the law enforcement and first-responder communities. The stories provide details and highlights of hard-earned careers to include tragic officer deaths, violent crimes, and the bitter worst of humanity. But through it all, the duty of service persevered, and they survived to make it to the next stage in life, what new author Donna Brown calls ‘Phase 2.’ Brown, a retired police officer with an incredible resume in her right, believes that making it to retirement to enjoy life in the next phase is what each and every law enforcement officer should strive for. She sums it up with a great quote, ‘You spent many years giving OF yourself; it's time to give TO yourself.’ For the past, present, and future law enforcement officers and first responders, this is a must read.

WILLIAM MARK

Award-winning author of Crossing the Blue Line and

From Behind the Blue Line

As a retired law enforcement officer, BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE made me proud as I read it. I know how special the folks were that I worked with for so many years, but to read about the people contained within these pages was just inspirational. This book is for everyone, first responder or not. It’s a fast read with a huge ‘wow factor’ at the end of each story.

Trish England

Sergeant (Retired)

Florida Highway Patrol

Donna thank you! Thank you for sharing your story and the stories of many others who risked their lives in the service of saving lives and ensuring a community of safety and well-being. Your book is heartfelt; it’s filled with interesting and uplifting stories of real people who made a significant difference and continue to do so in their ‘PHASE 2’ life.

DR. CHERYL A. RAINEY

Psychotherapist and Leadership Management Consultant

Former First Responder, State of Florida

Author of How to Hire and Keep a Winning Team, To the Top: How Extraordinary Leaders Lead in the Zone, and A Recipe for Silicon Valley Success?

Behind

and

Beyond

the Badge

stories from the village of first responders

with cops, firefighters, dispatchers, forensics,

and victim advocates

Donna Brown

Storehouse Publishing, LLC

St. Augustine, FL

BEHIND AND BEYOND THE BADGE: Stories from the Village of First Responders with Cops, Firefighters, Dispatchers, Forensics, and Victim Advocates

Copyright © 2017 by Donna Brown

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email author at email address below and type in subject line: Attention: Permissions Coordinator.

Donna Brown

Tallahassee, Florida 32317

www.BehindAndBeyondTheBadge.com

[e-mail]

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available with the author at the email address above and type in subject line Special Sales Department.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Cover design by Katie Campbell

Author Photo by Red Fly Studios

Behind and Beyond the Badge / Donna Brown —1st ed.

ISBN-13: 978-1-943106-12-7 (sc)

ISBN-13: 978-1-943106-13-4 (hc)

ISBN-13: 978-1-943106-14-1 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017940797

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

Dedicated to

The more than twenty-two thousand

Men and women who have

Lost their lives

In the line of duty while serving their communities.

They will never be forgotten.

Epigraph

"I sometimes wish that people would put a little more emphasis

Upon the observance of the law

Than they do upon its enforcement."

Calvin Coolidge

30th President of the United States of America

Preface

I have toyed with the idea of writing this book for quite some time. I’ve always found reasons to do other things, and never made it a priority.

During my twenty-six-year career, I spent ten years as a detective sergeant supervising my agency’s Homicide Unit. I was involved in over five hundred sixty death investigations.

Homicides, suicides, accidental deaths … if you can imagine it, I have probably seen it. I have seen up close and personal what we as human beings can do to ourselves and to one another. No doubt many of you reading this can say the same thing. My outlook on life has morphed and is much clearer to me. So, it was time to put my thoughts on paper.

As a retired law enforcement officer, I am writing this book for two reasons. I have listened to many struggle with the question of What am I going to do when I retire? and some with I don’t know what to do now that I am retired.

I also know many retired officers who have created an amazing Phase 2 for their lives. The retirement club is an awesome one!

I hope this book in some way will encourage others that there is life after law enforcement. I have proudly attended many retirement ceremonies, and the one thing I tell everyone is this: You spent many years giving OF yourself; it’s time to give TO yourself, however you choose to do that. A new world awaits you, and it is only limited by you and your imagination.

I’m also writing this book to let those who have never worked in law enforcement know that overwhelmingly, cops are good people. They are human, just like you. They have families, just like you.

Are there individuals working in law enforcement who are feeding mistrust to our communities? Yes. Are there individuals in every profession doing the same? Yes.

Sadly, when a questionable situation arises involving a police officer, it becomes entrenched in the national media spotlight and at times sparks community outcry unlike any other profession experiences.

The people in this book that so graciously allowed me to tell their stories are good people who had wonderful careers and are now enjoying their Phase 2 lives. Some have embarked on unique new careers, and many are still giving back.

You will see that some in this book were not actual law enforcement officers, but they were still a member of the law enforcement family. Successful law enforcement is a team effort; it takes a village, period.

A team is behind each call for help, each call dispatched, each call answered, and each investigation undertaken. This includes the forensic technicians, the communications officers/dispatchers, the mechanics, the administrative aides, the secretaries, the victim advocates, the property and evidence technicians, the mobile data technicians, the people who maintain and issue equipment, and the list goes on.

As a law enforcement officer, I relied on folks like these every day. They made my work life easier and safer, which translated into providing the best possible service to the citizens of the community I served. Most importantly, I was able to go home to my family at the end of my shift.

My work family included all members who are and were first responders—firefighters, emergency medical services. They too were always there and part of the team, the village, the family.

Perhaps the world could learn something from this family made up of people of all faiths, all ethnic backgrounds, all colors, male, female, gay, and straight. In that family, none of those things matter. We were always there for each other in good times and in bad.

If this book can help or inspire just one law enforcement family member, active duty or retired, or change the perception of law enforcement officers for one person, then this book will have been a success.

For my law enforcement family, take care of yourselves physically and emotionally so that you can enjoy your Phase 2.

I bleed blue and always will.

Stay safe!

Acknowledgements

To Lynne Morneau: your love, support, encouragement, and belief in me throughout this process has meant the world to me. Thank you doesn’t seem enough, but I truly am grateful. I love you with all that I am.

To my oldest and dearest friend, Trish England: thank you. You read some of the stories early on and gave me your honest feedback … and I mean honest! Thank you for your encouragement, support, suggestions, introduction, and your votes. And you too, Sue Nelson!

Tracy Fairfield, Angel Majors and Sandra Harrison…the girls! Thank you for indulging me these past many months. Your suggestions, encouragement, support and votes are much appreciated. I love you all!

Scott Cherry, thank you for your patience with all of my questions, your appreciated answers, and suggestions, including one that was golden!

Art Kirby, when I reached out, you willingly responded. Thank you for your interest, suggestion, and introduction.

Sherrie Clark, without you and Storehouse Publishing, LLC, my book would have remained a dream. Your patience, expertise, honest feedback, and hard work have made my dream a reality. My deepest thank you.

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

ONE

C:\Users\Donna\Pictures\Wedding Photos Red Fly\dl_0522.jpg

Sergeant Donna Brown

Tallahassee Police Department

Retired – 26 years, 3 months, 5 days of Service

Those who know best about writing a book have encouraged me to write something about myself. Injecting my story would provide credibility because I know its topic well.

As I have told those who are included within these pages, writing about yourself is difficult. This book isn’t about me; it’s about those who have served their communities honorably and those who continue to serve. These are people I admire and about whom I feel the world should know.

However, I have acquiesced and agreed to include my story.

Self-Preservation

I graduated from Florida State University (FSU) in August 1979.

I actually had no desire to become a police officer; I wanted to just springboard straight to investigator and work with kids, but every job to which I had applied rejected me. They only wanted applicants who had three to five years of law enforcement experience.

So, one day, I was just about tapped out of money. Then I saw an ad in the local newspaper—the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) was hiring. I applied.

That October, TPD hired me, and I went on to attend the police academy.

At that time, I was one of only five women at our department of nearly one hundred fifty officers. Upon completion of the academy, I returned to TPD and began my training. Female police officers were still a new concept to the department and to the city of Tallahassee as a whole, which provided for interesting times and challenges.

Like everyone else, the early part of my career was spent working the streets and answering calls for service. A couple of years later, I became a field training officer (FTO) where I trained new recruits and eventually was assigned to TPD’s training unit. This unit provided training for all sworn members of the department in all of the high-liability areas, including defensive tactics, firearms, and driving.

I have asked those in this book to talk about what they considered to be a career-defining moment. For some, doing this has been difficult or deeply personal. For me, it was both. I actually have two incidents, one at the beginning of my career and one at the very end. I’ll tell you about the second one a little later.

My first career-defining moment was when I was on patrol while working the midnight shift.

Early in the evening, I received a call of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian traffic accident, a hit and run. When I arrived, I found the pedestrian lying in the roadway next to the curb. Several bystanders stood on the sidewalk, and no one was helping him.

As I knelt down next to him, I could see that he was badly injured. What appeared to be brain matter was seeping from his ears, but he was still alive.

The bystanders immediately began yelling at me to help this man.

I went to my patrol car and retrieved