(From left) 1st Lt. Matt Owens presents Officer David Stewart with a certificate honoring him as February’s Officer of the Month. Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
Each month, the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Sully District Police Station honors one of the station’s officers for his or her outstanding service to the police and to the community.
And during the CAC’s March 9 meeting, Officer David Stewart was recognized as the Officer of the Month for February. Calling him “hardworking,” 1st Lt. Matt Owens, the station’s assistant commander, praised Stewart’s efforts during a 20-day period in late January-early February.
Of particular note, said Owens, was the way Stewart handled two auto-theft incidents, including one involving a drunk driver. “He’s done a tremendous job for us and we really appreciate it,” said Owens.
In his memo nominating Stewart for the honor, his supervisor, 2nd Lt. Nicholas Dipippa, presented details of some of the officer’s recent accomplishments. He said Stewart began the year by making arrests in a pair of stolen-auto cases.
“In the first case, Officer Stewart was in the area where thefts from motor vehicles had occurred approximately one hour earlier,” wrote Dipippa. “He noticed a vehicle perform an illegal U-turn on Route 29 at Centrewood Drive. He initiated a traffic stop and the vehicle pulled into the shopping center near Centreville Crest Drive and St. Germain Drive, where the driver bailed out. [But] he was quickly apprehended by Stewart a short distance away.”
According to Dipippa, the investigation revealed that “the [stolen vehicle’s] owner believed he left a spare set of keys in his vehicle.” Furthermore, he wrote, “The person arrested was out on bond after having been arrested a few days prior for vehicle tampering. This great case took a recidivist criminal off the streets.”
In the second incident, Stewart responded to a call where a witness was following a possible drunk driver. “Stewart observed the vehicle pull into the service bay of an Audi dealership,” wrote Dipippa. “He observed the suspect getting out of the vehicle; but by the time he was able to get inside the building, the suspect had disappeared.”
“Assisting officers helped to locate the subject — who was hiding in the women’s restroom by standing on a toilet,” continued Dipippa. “Stewart was able to track down the [stolen vehicle’s] owner who advised that the subject had stolen the vehicle. The suspect was also charged with DWI and unlawful entry.”
Dipippa wrote that, in both these cases, as well as in many others, “Stewart demonstrated great police work. In addition to the exemplary cases, he has also consistently been proactive in the apprehension of intoxicated drivers to help keep the roadways safe. Officer Stewart is most deserving of this recognition.”