COMMUNITY POLICING AWARD
Sergeant Frank Russo
Sergeant Russo began his service with the
Department on April 16, 1990 when he was hired as a Police Intern.
In that role, Frank assisted with many tasks while assigned to the then
Community Services Division including helping with vehicle abatement,
conducting station tours, making evidence runs to the lab, assisting at
special events, giving presentations, and working the Records counter,
to name just a few. All the while, he participated in an
extensive training program in order to prepare him to become a police
officer. Frank achieved this lifelong goal on July 26, 1991 when
he was selected to become one of Monterey's finest.
Being a Monterey native, Frank has always kept the best interests of
Monterey in mind. Long before the term "Community Policing" came
into vogue, Frank recognized and appreciated the value of community
outreach and collaboration and practiced these principles daily in his
policing activities. His humble beginning as a Police Intern, coupled
with his later experience as a Community Action Team member,
provided Frank the opportunity to build upon and hone his inherent sense
of community pride, spirit, and commitment.
As a patrol sergeant, Frank was a leader among his peers, setting an
outstanding example of how to intertwine community policing into his everyday
role as a supervisor. When the Monterey Community Policing
Initiative (MCPI) went live in 2005, Frank volunteered to supervise one
of two pilot Community Policing Areas (CPA's) within the City. His
responsiveness to the residents of that CPA helped solidify the
community's trust of the team and acceptance of the MCPI. As the
initiative developed, Frank made certain his two teams remained active
and responsive to issues occurring in CPA's 17 & 18. Whether
leading his teams in a clean up of Laguna Grande Park or dealing with
commercial vehicle parking impacts on North Fremont, Frank set high
expectations for his CPA teams. And Frank lead by example, always
willing to roll up his sleeves and do whatever needed to be done to get
the job done, including getting his hands dirty.
Due in large part to his commitment to community policing, in January
2009 Frank was chosen to supervise the Community Policing Initiative
and, even more importantly, to champion the effort. Within the
first three months, Frank began suggesting creative modifications to the Initiative
and its operation. It is clear that Frank was comfortable thinking
outside the box and the sometimes archaic and rigid framework of
conventional policing. Since Frank's appointment, he has
demonstrated that he is just what the Initiative and the Community
needed at this critical juncture.
Our Mission Statement, "Responsive to All, Second to None, Every Time,"
very accurately reflects Frank's approach to providing exceptional
police service to our customers - the public. This is not
something Frank has to think about too consciously, because it's an
innate part of who he is as a person and as a Monterey police officer.
We are pleased to recognize and honor Sergeant
Frank Russo as the recipient of the 2008 Monterey Police Department
Community Policing Award. |
