The Abilene Police Uniformed Services Division would like to recognize two of the four officers that will be eligible for the 2020 Patrol Officer of the Year award. Officers Andrew Spurgin and Jerod Daniel were selected by the Patrol Command Staff for their distinguished work during the first half of our fiscal year. The officers nominated and selected for such distinction must be hard-working, self-motivated, and have the ability to juggle the many challenges that modern policing throws at them. Both of these officers are excellent examples of what APD wants to project to our citizens.
Officer Andrew Spurgin currently works on Patrol C Company (evening shift). He comes to work with a great attitude every day, which is influential amongst the squad. On several occasions during the year, he has taken the initiative on projects that are less than desirable to the masses. He has worked to help improve the Records Management System as a power user, and he took a role in the development of our new website.
In December of this year, Spurgin took the lead on developing a strategy to resolve an issue we were having with a repeat abuser of emergency services. On his own, he began to gather call sheets and 911 audio of each time the subject called and notated their abusive behavior towards the dispatchers. This endeavor ended up being an extensive investigation that spanned several weeks. Ultimately, he was able to seek a warrant on the subject for abuse of 911 and False Report. This was a great example of good police work and initiative that does not always show up on a daily worksheet.
Officer Spurgin is extremely dependable and always takes care of his beat. He is generous with his time and takes primary on calls, even in other beats, in order to help his fellow officers. He is extremely professional when dealing with the public. He assisted on National Night Out with guiding tours through the new building and volunteered to help hand out candy during the APD Trunk or Treat event.
Officer Jerod Daniel works on Patrol F Company (midnight shift). He is a well-rounded officer who takes care of his beat and is highly proactive. He stays current on crime bulletins from various sources and, as a result, is regularly seizing contraband, weapons, and stolen property. He has a knack for recognizing wanted subjects in the field after viewing a mugshot or surveillance video.
While Officer Daniel leads his company in taking dangerous felons into custody, he is also towards the top of his company in answering primary calls for service. Some of these calls included homicides and aggravated assaults. With this amount of work, he generates a lot of paperwork. His reports are always prepared on time, complete and well organized.
One of Officer Daniel’s strengths is remaining calm and performing well in high-stress situations, never becoming rattled or nervous. He does not over or under react to situations. He strives for excellence and expects it of others around him. Officer Daniel is a Patrol Training Officer and has volunteered on numerous occasions to assist in training at the academy. He has found schools on his own to further develop himself on topics such as Advanced Search and Seizure and numerous interdiction and drug investigation classes. He has also proactively obtained his TCOLE instructor certificate. Officer Daniel and Officer Spurgin were hired in 2015 and graduated from the same academy class. With both earning the Superior Fitness Award for 2019, they are in excellent physical condition. Additionally, they have a good sense of humor and a positive attitude. Their dedication to this Department and this community is reflective of the belief that our greatest asset is not in our technology nor our equipment. Instead, our greatest asset is in the potential of our future leaders, and these two officers are modeling the way.
Doug Wrenn
Assistant Chief
Uniformed Services Division