DSP News Release: Delaware State Police Announce its Trooper of the Year and DSP Civilian Employee of the Year for 2010

 Date and Time:

• March 1, 2011 12:00 p.m.

Trooper of the Year- This year, seven Delaware State Troopers were nominated.  The Executive Staff has selected Sergeant David L. Weaver as the 2010 Trooper of the Year.

Each year the Delaware State Police Executive Staff selects one Trooper for the Trooper of the Year Award.  Troopers nominated must be recognized by their peers as having outstanding character and integrity and whose actions or performance significantly exceeded expectations during the previous calendar year.

This year, seven Delaware State Troopers were nominated.  The Executive Staff has selected Sergeant David L. Weaver as the 2010 Trooper of the Year.

Sergeant Weaver has been a Delaware State Trooper since 1988 serving his entire career at Troop 3 in Kent County; where he has worked in varied assignments to include; patrol, the crash reconstruction unit, the evidence detection unit, and his current position as the Supervisor of the School Resource Officer and Domestic Violence Units. 

Sergeant Weaver was selected for this prestigious award based on his diligence, professionalism and dedication -highlighted in his handling of these two significant missing person cases.

As part of Sergeant Weaver’s duties, he reviews numerous missing person cases.  One such case began on June 1, 2009, when Lisa Mumford was reported missing.  Sergeant Weaver assumed the role of lead investigator on the case; interviewing numerous subjects familiar with Ms. Mumford.  Through his investigation, he developed a person of interest in her suspicious disappearance.  Sergeant Weaver continued to investigate and look for clues that would lead him to Mumford’s whereabouts.  Finally, on January 21, 2010, after seven tireless months; Sgt Weaver, assisted by other Detectives, located Lisa Mumford’s body in a marshy area near Port Mahon.  The Office of the State Medical Examiner determined that Mumford had been murdered. Sergeant Weaver continued as the lead investigator and on October 4, 2010, defendant Dorsey Parker was arrested and charged with 1^st degree Murder. 

The second investigation highlighted began on November 10, 2010, when a local business reported that a customer named Gary Sanders had missed a business obligation and they were concerned for his welfare.  Sergeant Weaver opened a missing person investigation on Sanders who lived in the Bowers Beach area.  Sanders had no immediate family in the area, and had not been seen since September 27, 2010.  Once again, Sergeant Weaver diligently searched for clues that would lead him to Sanders’ whereabouts.  During his investigation he developed a person of interest in the suspicious disappearance of Mr. Sanders.  Sergeant Weaver developed enough information to obtain a search warrant at the residence of the person of interest.  On December 16, 2010, with the assistance of numerous law enforcement officers, search dogs and a ground excavating crew, the search warrant was executed.  The body of Gary Sanders was located buried in the ground on the suspect’s property.  Once the victim was located, Sergeant Weaver contacted authorities in South Carolina to have the suspect, Juan Strydom, detained before he could flee.  As a result of Sgt Weaver’s investigation Juan Strydom was returned to Delaware to face murder charges. 

In both of these missing person cases as a result of Sgt Weaver’s investigative efforts, his professionalism and dedication; justice was achieved on behalf of the victims, some closure was obtained for the victim’s families and two dangerous subjects are in prison for murder.  It should be noted that during these exceptional cases, Sergeant Weaver continued to perform his regular duties supervising his Detective Units as well as handling other domestic violence investigations. 

Civilian Employee of the Year- This year, five civilian Delaware State Police employees were nominated.  The Executive Staff of the Delaware State Police has selected Ms. Sandra Frazier as the 2010 Civilian of the Year.

Ms. Frazier has been with the Division for over 40 years, beginning her career in June of 1969.  Ms. Frazier has held various assignments throughout her career with the Delaware State Police to include assignments in the Traffic Section, Personnel Section and Fiscal Control Section.   She has been the Senior Fiscal Administrative Officer for the Fiscal Control Section since 2007.  In her role as the Senior Fiscal Administrative Officer, Ms. Frazier supervises a staff of five and works closely with our Controller and the Administrative Major regarding fiscal matters.  Additionally, she deals directly with our Divisions Cost Center managers, to include sworn and civilian personnel, making recommendations on their annual budgets.

In 2010, Ms. Frazier took on the challenge of learning and implementing a new State accounting system.  As the State of Delaware was transitioning to this new system, Ms. Frazier was responsible for ensuring the training and subsequent implementation for DSP fiscal personnel.  This system proved to be a large challenge due to the unique nature of the Delaware State Police financial systems versus other State entities.  The changes and related challenges of the new program impacted nearly every section within DSP.  With Ms. Frazier as the lead, her fiscal team worked through these challenges in order to meet the requirements of the new program, often working into the evening hours to meet fiscal deadlines.   In the midst of this technology transition, Ms. Frazier was advised that she needed a shoulder operation.  Ms. Frazier put off the surgery until late 2010 in order to avoid placing a greater burden on the fiscal office by her absence and then hurried back after her surgery to help with the ongoing project.    

Ms. Frazier has consistently demonstrated her dedication to the Division, often being the last employee in the HQ building at night, and that same commitment is shown by her entire fiscal team.  Ms. Frazier always displays the utmost professionalism when dealing with members of the Division and can be counted on to provide them with sound fiscal direction.  Over the years, Ms. Frazier has received, and continues to receive, excellent evaluations and has received several distinguished service awards

As described by Gene Sharp, Delaware State Police Controller, “Once decisions are made she is the key person to make things happen.”