Captain Galen Purcell
Delaware State Police Troop 3 is located on US Route 13A between
Woodside and Camden. In 2008, commanded by Captain Robert C.
Hawkins, Troop 3 consists of 91 sworn officers and four civilians.
Troop 3 is the only troop in Kent County and houses both uniform
troopers and criminal detectives. Out of the 628 square miles in
Kent County, Troop 3 provides police services to 595 square miles --
the largest of all state police troops. The population of Kent
County is 140,000 people. As with all Delaware State Police troops,
Troop 3 is a full-service police agency.
On a yearly basis, Troop 3 supports the operations of the Delaware
State Fair, the NASCAR races at Dover Downs International Speedway,
and the Dover Air Force Base Air Shows along with the community
events “Safe Summer Day” at Brecknock Park and “Delaware Night Out”
in Camden.
The Troop 3 Patrol Section is under the command of Lt. Joseph E.
Huttie. The Patrol Section includes four shifts, each supervised by
a sergeant. In addition to the four shifts, there is a two-person
Direct Response Unit. During 2008, the Patrol Section made 18,181
traffic arrests, 532 DUI arrests, 4,961 criminal arrests, and
handled 22,890 complaints. Three troopers are assigned to the Crash
Reconstruction Unit (CRU). In 2008, 19 fatal crashes were handled by
the CRU.
The Criminal Investigative Unit (CIU), under the command of Lt.
James P. Fraley, consists of twenty-four detectives who are assigned
to several units including Major Crimes, Property Crimes, Domestic
Violence, Fraud, Youth Aid, and the Evidence Detection Unit. In
2008, the CIU handled 3,442 cases and made 5,385 arrests, and
recovered $558,577.00 in stolen property.
Troop 3’s Drug Unit and Governor’s Task Force were commanded by Lt.
Brian J. Fitzpatrick. The GTF and Drug Unit made 1,706 criminal
arrests. In addition, they recovered $71,279.00 in stolen property,
seized $368,558.00 in U. S. currency that were drug proceeds, seized
over 258 lbs. of marijuana, over 9 lbs. of powdered cocaine and over
3 lbs. of crack cocaine during the year. These units took 88
firearms off the streets in Kent County.
Of the many incidents handled by Troop 3 in 2008, several stand out.
On February 22, 2008, a high-stakes poker game was robbed at the
Wild Quail Country Club in Wyoming. Detectives investigating the
case learned that Tpr. HyunJin Kim was present during the robbery,
but had fled prior to police arrival. Detectives linked pillowcases
that were placed on the heads of victims to individuals who had
purchased the same pillowcases from the Camden Walmart. Troopers
from Troop 3 brought it to the attention of investigators that the
photo of a male who had purchased pillowcases had a strong
resemblance to Tpr. Kim. As the investigation continued, Tpr. Kim’s
personal vehicle was identified on a Walmart video. A search warrant
was obtained for Tpr. Kim’s personal residence. Outside the
residence, evidence was found in a burn pile that was directly
related to the Wild Quail robbery. This led to the arrest of Kim and
five of his associates, some of which were childhood friends from
Philadelphia. All suspects were incarcerated and have since pled to
robbery charges.
On February 28, 2008, Cpl. Jon Wood and Tpr. Mark Thomas stopped a
1999 Chevy Blazer driven by a Norfolk, VA, woman, near Harrington
for a traffic violation. A consent to search the vehicle was
obtained after conflicting information was given. The search yielded
three laundry bags of marijuana weighing 140 lbs. This was the
largest seizure in recent years in Kent County.
On September 9, 2008, an unveiling ceremony of a memorial to the six
troopers from Troop 3 who had died in the line of duty was held at
Troop 3. This beautiful memorial was presented to Troop 3 from
Pippin’s Funeral Home. Relatives, classmates and friends of the
fallen troopers were in attendance.
On November 10, 2008, the most devastating accident on Delaware
roadways occurred. Two Ford Explorers collided head-on two miles
west of Frederica causing both vehicles to burst into flames. Five
members of the Crow-Rinaldi family perished in one vehicle and
Michael Miller, the operator of the second vehicle, also perished.
In December, 2008, the Troop 3 Needy Family Fund provided Christmas
for six families who had been recommended by the Victim’s Service
Unit or Troopers from Troop 3. This fund is supported by donations
and the sales of Troop 3 and other Delaware State Police
memorabilia.
For 2008, the Troop 3 award winners were:
Trooper of the Year: Cpl. /2 Jon F. Wood
Detective of the Year: Detective Kristin L. Willard
Drug Investigator of the Year: Detective Mentino M.
DiSilvestro
- Information
obtained from 2008 DSP Annual Report -