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Civilian of the Year



Each year the Delaware State Police Executive Staff selects one civilian employee for the Civilian of the Year Award. Civilian employees who are nominated for this award display outstanding performance and meet the following criteria:

 

1. Exceptional service as identified by the employee’s performance evaluations.
2. A consistent record of such service through their years of employment.
3. Recognition by their peers for outstanding character and integrity.

 

This year, seven civilian Delaware State Police employees were nominated. The Executive Staff of the Delaware State Police selected Agent Donna Farra from the Troop 2 Criminal Investigative Unit as the 2015 Civilian of the Year.

 

Agent Farra’s career with the Delaware State Police began on July 1st of 2006. Since then, she has served as an Investigative Agent in our Drug Diversion Unit. An extremely knowledgeable investigator, she brought with her a great deal of experience from various factions of law enforcement. From 2002 to 2006, Agent Farra was a paralegal at the Delaware Department of Justice. Prior to that, she served as a deputy sheriff in Pennsylvania for several years.

 

In April of 2015, Agent Farra was selected to take over and review several cases from a fellow Agent who was soon to retire. Her instincts led her to a decision to significantly expand the investigation of one particular case. This investigation eventually revealed additional instances of the identified suspects forging prescriptions. She also discovered an additional previously unidentified co-conspirator and tied in suspects from other cases. Her efforts subsequently directly led to the arrest of 5 defendants on a total of 52 felony charges.

 

In another example, Agent Farra initiated an investigation into stolen and forged prescriptions from an anonymous Crime Stoppers complaint in September. With very little information to go on, Agent Farra’s investigation revealed that a former employee of a local doctor had stolen a prescription pad from the office. This individual then went on a spree, forging numerous prescriptions over a 3-month period to illegally obtain over two hundred 30mg Adderall tablets (a Schedule II Narcotic). Agent Farra’s investigation resulted in 15 felony charges against this defendant.

 

Not only does Agent Farra handle more than her share of investigations, she consistently assists her co-workers whenever necessary. During one particular period when Troop 2’s Financial Crimes Unit found itself overwhelmed with cases and short on investigators, Agent Farra stepped up to the plate. Because she was able to clear up several cases, the unit’s Investigators were able to focus on larger scale cases that required more in-depth attention. The FCU Sergeant was quick to point out that she had done an excellent job and required very little supervision.

 

In total, Agent Farra’s investigations during 2015 resulted in a total of 166 felony arrests – well above the unit average. Despite consistently managing a heavy caseload, all of Agent Farra’s investigations are thorough and include the utmost attention to detail. This type of work ethic and productivity has been typical of Agent Farra for each of the ten years she has been assigned to the Drug Diversion Unit. Her investigative skills and dedication to the mission are outstanding!

 

Ever the consummate professional, Agent Farra consistently goes above and beyond her assigned duties while serving as an example of excellence and upholding the high standards of the Division and the Drug Diversion Unit. Her gregarious nature has resulted in her fostering many professional relationships with hospital, pharmacy and law enforcement agency employees throughout the region. She is highly regarded by her law enforcement peers, including those in the DEA, and is frequently specifically called upon to assist them with investigations.


Past Civilian of the Year Recipients


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