Captain Melissa Zebley
The “First Troop in the First State” has been an icon, located at
the top of Penny Hill since 1923. The fraternity of Penny Hillers
has a rich history of tradition and outstanding public service. The
forty-four troopers currently assigned to Troop One performed
diligently during this past year to provide professional and
compassionate public service to an increasingly diverse population.
This diversity spans from Wilmington to Claymont, and Brandywine
Hundred to Centreville. The patrol area also includes two interstate
highways, as well as the Concord Pike corridor, which has become a
regional Retail Mecca and the site of the world-wide headquarters
for Astra Zeneca.
Since the fall of 2003, Troop 1 crime fighting and prevention
efforts have been directed by Lieutenant Michael Eisenhardt. He has
targeted areas of high criminal activity and focused on repeat
criminal offenders, all while maintaining vigilance on homeland
security. In January, the Claymont Drug Initiative was formed by
teaming Corporal Dave Diana with New Castle County Police Officer
Rand Townley for the first quarter of the calendar year to address
quality of life issues in the Claymont area. The Claymont area is in
the midst of a revitalization project which includes new
construction projects as well as restoration to existing structures.
This once run down drug area accounted for a large portion of the
average Troopers patrol time. A partnership was forged with the
Claymont Renaissance Organization and during this temporary
assignment, the officers investigated 70 drug related incidents and
arrested 81 suspects for a total of 145 criminal charges. Their
efforts led to the recovery of $995.00 in stolen property, as well
as the seizure $13,310 in cash, three vehicles and eight firearms.
The Troop One retail theft efforts were again spearheaded by Master
Corporal Brian Mulvena and Senior Corporal William Murray. During
the calendar year, these troopers investigated 585 complaints,
arrested 378 suspects for a total of 1,043 criminal charges. They
also seized $560.00 in counterfeit property, $672.00 in cash and
recovered $86,995.98 in stolen property.
In April, Traffic Lieutenant William Alexander was promoted to the
rank of Captain and reassigned to the headquarters complex as the
Director of Traffic. He was replaced by Lieutenant Michael Reader,
who quickly assumed the highway safety reigns. The primary goal of
enhancing law enforcement visibility along our roadways in an effort
to deter aggressive driving and keep our law abiding citizens safe
was formed. This endeavor proved effective as traffic arrests
increased and fatal crashes decreased for the second straight year
in a row (2006-16, 2007-8 and 2008-5) in the Troop One patrol area.
Although it is impossible to predict when the actions of a drunk
driver or speeding motorist are going to result in a crash, it is
reasonable to believe that this high visibility/zero-tolerance
philosophy played a major role in the decrease of fatal accidents.
This was indeed a true team effort which included the Troop
administration as well as cooperation from the road Troopers.
On Friday, July 11, 2008, Penny Hillers enjoyed a night with the
Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium, as the team played the Potomac
Nationals. The event was coordinated with the Blue Rocks
organization and was used as a venue to announce the Troop 1 Award
winners. The award recipients were as follows: Troop 1 Trooper of
the year- Cpl. David Diana, Traffic Ace- Trooper Joseph Joannides,
DUI Ace- Trooper John Day, and Crime Fighting Ace- Trooper David
May. In addition, for the first time in our history, the Trooper
Ronald L. Carey Award was awarded to Cpl. Marty McWilliams. This
award was established by the troop administration for the trooper
who displays integrity, leadership, teamwork, and pride while
executing the duties of a state trooper. Sergeant Mark DiJiacomo was
also recognized for responding quickly to a scene where an 80 year
old man had become unresponsive. Sergeant DiJiacomo used the skills
he possessed from training in basic first aid and CPR to save the
victim’s life.
Due to the hard work and professionalism of Troop 1 personnel, 2008
has proved to be a productive and successful year. The men and women
of Penny Hill sincerely appreciate the active support of a concerned
community in helping us to meet the challenges of the past year. Our
citizens can be assured that we will continue to build upon our
relationships by providing professional police services with concern
and compassion, as we have done since 1923.
- Information obtained from 2008 DSP
Annual Report -
