Trooper of the Year 2007 - International Association of Chiefs of Police

DHS, ATF, FBI and DEA Featured at S&P Midyear
By Carolyn Cockroft,
S&P Staff, IACP
This year’s S&P Division
midyear conference featured
presentations by heads of several
federal law enforcement
agencies, the election of the second
vice chair, a review of the Virginia Tech
Shootings, and a visit from a former
S&P general chair.
S&P members gathered on March
3-4 for the annual “Day on the Hill” to
be briefed on legislative issues. The next
day, Colonel Rick Fuentes, the S&P
general chair, officially welcomed the
attendees to the opening ceremonies at
the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington,
Virginia.
Following the traditional memorial
service for those fallen in the line
of duty, S&P Director Vince Talucci
gave an overview of the S&P’s goals
and services. Regional and round-table
discussions filled most of the afternoon.
The day ended with a keynote address
by Michael Chertoff, the secretary of the
Department of Homeland Security.
Other speakers duirng the next two
days included Bart Johnson from the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence,
FBI Director Robert Mueller,
ATF Director Michael Sullivan, and
DEA Administrator Michelle Leonhart.
Two presentations of particular interest
were given by Gwen Boniface,
the former S&P general chair, and by
Colonel Steve Flaherty, superintendent
of the Virginia State Police. Boniface
briefed the members on her assignment
as deputy chief inspector at the Garda
Síochána Inspectorate in Ireland; and
Colonel Flaherty presented a minuteby-minute
account of the shootings at
Virginia Tech last year.
Social Events
Evening activities included the General
Chair’s Reception on Tuesday and
the Corporate Sponsors Appreciation
Reception on Wednesday.
The Annual Trooper of the Year
Banquet was held on Thursday with
the IACP President Ron Ruecker as the
keynote speaker.
Nominated for the Trooper of the
Year Award was Trooper Amanda Reif,
New York State Police; Trooper Edward
Pope, Florida Highway Patrol; Trooper
Walter “Corky” Burr, Missouri State
Highway Patrol; and Trooper Jay Hemphill,
Colorado State Patrol.
Trooper Reif was named Trooper
of the Year for her heroic actions in
response to a domestic violence incident.
In doing so, she encountered a convicted
rapist who shot her in the left chest and
shoulder area. In spite of her injury, she
managed to fire a single round, killing
her assailant and preventing further danger
from the assailant against the female
victim and other officers responding to
the scene.
S&P Business Meeting
The following morning, attendees
listened to subcommittee updates at the
S&P Business Meeting. The following
are some highlights:
Bryan Tuma, Nebraska State Patrol
was nominated and elected for second
vice chair. He will be officially sworn in
at the annual meeting in San Diego.
On behalf of the Resolutions Committee,
First Vice Chair Mark Dunaski
presented a request to have the ad hoc
The 42nd Annual Conference of the
State and Provincial Planning Officers Section
July 20-24, 2008, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Harrisburg, PA
Topics to be covered include federal surplus programs, grant
management, police allocation models, and use of force.
Participation from every state is necessary!
For information, contact Sergeant David E. Pallone,
Pennsylvania State Police, at dpallone@state.pa.us
S&P Highway Safety Committee be
reconstituted and recognized as a subcommittee
of the IACP Highway Safety
Committee. The S&P formed the ad hoc
committee initially to address the unique
challenges facing its membership, and
the committee has since successfully
accomplished this task. The members
voted to approve the resolution.
Colonel Fuentes encouraged the
S&P members to run for the IACP
fourth vice presidency, a position up for
election at the IACP Annual Conference
in November. Although the S&P general
chair sits on the IACP Board, Colonel
Fuentes noted that S&P plays a major
role in homeland security and other national
concerns; therefore, an additional
board member to represent S&P would
give the division a stronger voice before
the IACP.
Details on the midyear meeting are
covered in the official minutes, which
will be provided in a future e-mail to the
S&P members. µ
Fallen S&P Officers
The S&P Division wishes to
acknowledge the following troopers,
who made the ultimate sacrifice for
their communities and the people they
served. We extend our prayers and
deepest sympathies to their families,
friends and colleagues.
Trooper Kara M. Kelly-Borgognone
Nevada Highway Patrol
February 28, 2008
Trooper Daniel R. Barrett
Indiana State Police
January 27, 2008
Lance Corporal James D. Haynes
South Carolina Highway Patrol
February 1, 2008
Sergeant Richard C. LeBow
Arkansas State Police
February 4, 2008
“They will be remembered—not for the
way they died, but for how they lived.”
— Vivian Eney
s&p update