From left: David Weatherspoon, Thomas Mitchell and Javaro Sims have a combined 75 years of service in Delray.
We attended the 13th annual Delray Citizens for Delray Police Awards Dinner Friday and I have to tell you about it.
I have gone to several of these banquets over the years and Celsius, a company I’m involved with is a proud sponsor.
The event honors officers and employees with more than 20 years of service to our city. This year’s honorees; Assistant Chief Javaro Sims, Captain Tommy Mitchell and Lt. David Weatherspoon combined have over 75 years of service to Delray. All three are exceptional officers who have made a deep and lasting impact in our city. The event also honors the department’s Officer of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Supervisor of the Year and recognizes monthly award winners for the previous year.
The event serves as a fundraiser for the non profit Delray Citizens for Delray Police which, under the leadership of Perry Don Francisco, has supported the officers and their families for 30 years providing scholarships to the children of officers and purchasing equipment not covered by the department’s budget. It’s good to see Perry, an all time Delray great, remain involved in a city he helped put on the map 10 years after selling the land mark Boston’s on the Beach.
It’s also nice to see retirees from near and far return to honor colleagues and connect with the next generation of officers.
I’ve long contended that our Police Department is the unsung hero of Delray’s remarkable renaissance. The hard work and innovative policing strategies employed by the department made it safe for families and investment. It’s a debt we need to remember and their task doesn’t seem to get easier. This is a challenging city to protect and serve.
We had an opportunity to reconnect with some legendary officers from the past: Chuck Jeroloman, Scott Lunsford, Marc Woods, Tom Judge, Ed Flynn among many others and its really special to see that some of those officers have sons who are now serving with distinction at the department. The Police Department took this city back and the new generation of officers are tasked with fresh challenges. Their jobs are not only essential, but one could argue that our very viability as a community relies on their work and their ability to partner with the community.
The three officers honored all came to the department in the early 90s, a time when Delray was beginning to make the turn. In 1993, Delray won its first All America City Award and soon after Florida Trend would name Delray the “best run town in Florida.”
Civic pride was building, people were working together, the political leadership was aligned and city hall was stable after a very rocky prior decade. We were on our way, but much more work remained to be done.
Javaro Sims was a local guy who was passionate about service and the community, especially the youth. A former pro football player, teacher and Olympic caliber sprinter, Javaro was a great fit for Delray. He raced up the ranks becoming Assistant Chief in 2014.
Captain Mitchell has been an officer for 30 years, 26 in Delray. A former NYPD officer, Tommy has worked in a variety of roles from patrol and investigations to vice, intelligence and narcotics. A passionate Yankee fan, Tommy urges young officers to train hard, be safe and back each other up.
Lt. Weatherspoon is a home grown officer born and raised right here.
He was also the department’s first African American K-9 officer who started at the department in 1993 after a stint in the Army. After leaving K-9 he returned to community patrol. In 2006, he led the creation of the Problem Oriented Policing unit which requires officers to approach issues at their root and find innovative ways to solve problems. The program has been a great success.
David is a charismatic guy, with a warm smile and a wonderful family. His relationships in the community are strong, genuine and hugely valuable.
He’s just a solid guy. The kind you want to build around.
Chief Jeff Goldman also honored Officer Joseph Grammatico as “Officer of the Year.”
Known for his productivity, Grammatico racked up 136 arrests in 2015 and Chief Goldman gives him lots of credit for reducing Part One crimes by 8.5% in 2015.
An adherent of “intelligence led policing” Grammatico focuses on active offenders in the community who were committing a disproportionate amount of crime. By removing these prolific criminals from neighborhoods, Officer Grammatico was able to significantly improve quality of life for citizens and business owners.
The department’s employee of the year is Dawn Terrizzi who won an award named after long time employee and standout Patricia Taylor. Dawn is a support services secretary and has worked for the department for 12 years. But that hardly tells her story.
After her family was touched by a homicide, Dawn became a passionate advocate for people in similar circumstances. She volunteers for a slew of victim services agencies and causes including the Palm Beach chapter of Parents of Murdered Children Support Group. She is also active in local food pantries and food drives. Chief Goldman describes her as “an amazing woman”. Indeed.
Just a small taste of what our department and indeed our city has to offer.
#gratitude.
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