Officer of the Month

Officer of the Month

We are proud to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month is Officer Glen Westbrook. Glen graduated from Madison Central Academy and later began working at the Rankin County jail. He graduated from MLEOTA in 2010 and went to work for the Brandon Police Department. He was hired by Pearl PD in 2016 where he has worked as a patrolman and SWAT Operator.
On Saturday evening, March 31, 2018, at approximately 8:45 p.m. Pearl Police Department received multiple calls in reference to a welfare concern of a subject seen on the side of Interstate 20 east near mile marker 50. Different callers stated the male subject was lying on the shoulder of the roadway and appeared to either be sleeping or lying down. Another caller stated there was a concern that the subject had been struck by a car. Officer Glen Westbrook was in the area headed to another call but re-routed to this call due to the concern of the pedestrian near the roadway being higher priority. Upon Officer Westbrook’s arrival to the area, he passed the subject in question and quickly pulled to the edge of the roadway before exiting his car and walking back toward the subject. As Officer Westbrook made his approach toward the subject lying on the ground, he walked toward headlights of motorists traveling eastbound in excess of 70 mph. When Officer Westbrook was within range of the male subject, he noticed the subject to be moving but unable to see his hands. Officer Westbrook began numerous commands for the subject to show him his hands. After repeated commands, the subject drew a gun and pointed it toward Officer Westbrook, discharging his weapon toward the Officer. Officer Westbrook returned fire at the subject striking the subject as additional units responded to the area for assistance. The subject was quickly taken into custody and first aid was rendered to the suspect at the scene. The suspect was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and just after being released was booked on aggravated assault on a police officer, discharging a firearm in the city, and exhibiting a weapon. He has since been presented to the Rankin County District Attorney’s office where a true bill was reached and an indictment forthcoming of simple assault on a police officer by physical menace. He remains in the custody of the Rankin County Jail
Officer Westbrook’s enhanced training, precision skills, and quick thinking ended a potential threat not just to himself but as well as the many motorists that were traveling Interstate 20 at the time of this incident as well as residential areas parallel with I-20. This article could very well be an obituary but instead an officer went back to his shift, a community was kept safe, and a daddy and husband went home to his wife and 4 children. We are grateful and appreciative for Officer Glen Westbrook and present him as Pearl Police Department’s Officer of the Month. Lieutenant Brian McGairty

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Westbrook with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card, a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a gift card for a meal for two people and a $10 gift certificate to Frisco Deli. Jose’s Mexican Restaurant donated a $25 gift certificate; Moss Creek Fish House donated a $25 gift card; Church’s Chicken donated a $20 gift certificate; The Pearl Municipal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; McAlister’s Deli donated 2 complimentary meals; Eclipse Nutrition donated a $25 gift certificate; Focus Fit donated a 1 month FREE pass and Scotts Miracle Gro donated a Fit Bit.

Officer of the Month

We are proud to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month is Officer Randy Newell. He is a native of Meridian where he graduated from Meridian High School and Meridian Community College. Randy obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing at the University of West Alabama. He began his law enforcement career in June 1993 with the MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks where he worked as a conservation officer in Rankin County as well as a Public Relations Officer for the state of Mississippi. He was also the host of Mississippi Outdoors television program and Mississippi Outdoors radio. He was employed with the MS Department of Wildlife for 25 years. Newell also worked at the Flowood Police Department for 11 years and began working at the Pearl PD in February 2017 where he presently works as a patrol officer. Randy has been honored to serve the public through the years but he feels that his greatest accomplishments in life have been his son, Addison and his personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
On February 24, 2018, at approximately 1:45 am, officers with the Pearl PD were conducting a safety checkpoint on Highway 80 near the Jackson city limits. During the checkpoint, a yellow Camaro approached the checkpoint. Officer Randy Newell asked for the individual’s driver’s license. Unable to provide one, Officer Newell became suspicious of the behavior of the actions of both the passenger and driver. Remaining calm and able to work under pressure, Officer Newell asked other officers to assist him. After checking the driver’s license through the National Crime Information Computer, it was learned that the passenger had an active warrant for homicide through Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee. With the direction of Officer Newell, officers were able to assist in the removal of the wanted suspect from the vehicle and place him into custody without incident. The suspect was arrested and transferred to the custody of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department. This is just one example of how Officer Newell exemplifies dedication to his job and his ability to remain calm under pressure when faced with a harmful threat to society standing before him. Officer Newell is an asset to this city for his service and commitment to public safety.

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Newell with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card, a $20 Frisco Deli Gift Certificate and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a meal for two people. Moss Creek Fish House donated a $25 Gift Card; Pearl Municipal Federal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; McAlister’s Deli donated a complimentary meal for two; Great American Cookie donated a cookie cake; Focus Fit donated a FREE month pass; Scotts Miracle Gro donated a Fit Bit and Signmark donated a rain jacket. City of Pearl Government

Officer of the Month

We are very proud to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month is Officer Ryan Erwin. Ryan is a 2010 Pearl High School graduate and graduated from the University of Mississippi and the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers’ Training Academy in 2015. Officer Erwin served in the Army National Guard and was deployed with the 113th Military Police Unit in 2011 under Operation Enduring Freedom on the border of Kuwait and Iraq. Ryan and his wife Kristin live in Pearl and have a 4 month old baby boy named Lewis.
On November 28, 2017 Officer Erwin overheard on radio traffic that a stolen trailer was entering the city limits of Pearl. He spotted the trailer on Hwy 80 and detained the male subjects that were occupying the vehicle. He also learned from the Clinton Police Department that the tag was stolen. Through the investigation it was learned that the trailer was stolen 3 years ago from Bogue Chitto, Mississippi. Clinton PD Investigators were able to use the information in Officer Erwin’s traffic stop to aid in their investigation. A search warrant was obtained for an address in Jackson where parts from the stolen trailer were found. Other arrests were also made that led to the closure of a grand larceny case in our jurisdiction. If it had not been for Officer Erwin investigating further than the initial probable cause, several cases would still remain unsolved. Officer Erwin goes above and beyond his duties as a Patrol Officer and is a true asset to the city of Pearl and the Pearl Police Department.
The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Erwin with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket that includes a complete meal for two people. Great American Cookie donated a cookie cake; Cavender’s Western Wear donated a $75 Gift Card; The Pearl Municipal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; Moss Creek Fish House donated a $25 Gift Card; Jose’s Mexican Restaurant donated a $25 Gift Certificate; Eclipse Nutrition donated a $25 Gift Certificate; McAlister’s Deli donated two complimentary meals; Focus Fit donated a FREE month’s pass and Scotts Miracle Gro donated a Fit Bit. Kristin Erwin Ryan Erwin

Officer of the Month

We are proud to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month is Officer Chase Elam. He served in the United States Army Reserve until 2014. During that time he graduated from MLEOTA and worked at the Jackson Police Department until 2015 and then came to work at the Pearl Police Department. Officer Elam was recently dispatched along with other officers to a disturbance call where a male subject was on the scene with a knife threatening to do harm to himself. ...Once on the scene Officer Elam entered the residence and took charge and found the subject sitting on a bed with a knife in his hand. Officer Elam sensed that the subject was in obvious distress and began to talk to him to try to get him to drop the knife. The subject cut his wrist and Officer Elam continued to remain calm and talk to the subject to convince him to drop the knife. Once he dropped the knife Officer Elam began to administer first aid until the fire department personnel arrived on the scene. Officer Elam displayed exemplary leadership and poise during this very stressful situation.
The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Elam with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a gift card for a meal for two. Scotts Miracle Gro donated a Fit Bit; Moss Creek Fish House donated a $25 Gift Card; McAlister’s Deli donated two complimentary meals; Eclipse Nutrition donated a $25 Gift Card; Focus Fit donated a One Month Free Pass, Signmark donated a soft side cooler and Great American Cookie Company donated a cookie cake! Pearl Police Department Chase Elam

July Officer of the Month

We are proud to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month in July is Sergeant John Burt. Sgt. Burt is a Pearl High School graduate and began his law enforcement career as a Reserve Officer in 2001. He began as a Dispatcher in January 2012 and graduated from MLEOTA in June 2012. He was promoted to CID in March 2015 and to Sergeant in 2016. In the spring of 2017 the Pearl City Park had been vandalized numerous times. Lt. Jerry Adair’s shift took that as a p...ersonal insult and took action. Sgt. Burt organized heavy surveillance of the park and ball fields with personnel in key observation areas. Through perseverance and dedication to the case, Sgt. Burt and fellow officers were successful in using shoe prints to identify the suspect, who later confessed to the vandalism. This is just one example of Sgt. Burt’s tenacity in getting cases solved. His tireless work ethic, professionalism and loyalty to the city of Pearl make him a valuable asset to our department. The entire shift of Sgt. Burt, Officers Glen Westbrook, Heather Rodgers, Robert Washington, Kyle Camardelle, Tyler Burnell and Mike Hollingsworth were all a part of this successful mass effort.

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Sgt. Burt with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a complete meal for two. Bullock Investigations and Security donated a $25 Buffalo Wild Wings Gift Card; Moss Creek Fish House donated a $25 Gift Card; The Pearl Municipal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; Scotts Miracle Gro donated a Fit Bit; McAlister’s Deli donated two complimentary meals and Signmark donated a duffel bag.

May Officer of the Month

We are pleased to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month in May is Officer Chris Picou. Chris graduated from Trafton Academy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and then attended Louisiana Tech and Northeastern College. He graduated from the academy in 1995 and soon became a K-9 Officer in the Narcotics Division in St. Joseph, Louisiana. Chris later worked at Hinds Community College in Raymond also with Narcotics and K-9’s; the Pearl Police Department with K-9’s; the Madison County Sheriff’s Department in Interdiction and K-9; with Richland PD as Lt. of Narcotics/Interdiction and K-9 and then worked as Chief Deputy in the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office in Drug Operations. Officer Picou began working at the Pearl Police Department in October 2015 as a part of the Interdiction Team and K-9 Unit. Recently Officer Picou was commended by the Comal County Texas Sheriff’s Office for being instrumental in the arrest of a murder suspect that had fled Texas and was traveling through Pearl, Mississippi. Without Officer Picou’s diligence and dedication the suspect would have continued his flight from arrest and prosecution. We are very proud to have Officer Picou at the Pearl Police Department.

 

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Picou with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a complete meal for two. Moss Creek Fish House donated a $25 Gift Card; Dunkin Donuts donated a $25 Gift Card and the Pearl Municipal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card. McAlister’s Deli donated a complimentary lunch for two; Scotts Miracle Gro donated a Fit Bit; BancorpSouth donated a spectator cooler chair and Signmark donated a soft side cooler.

Pictured from left to right: Assistant Chief Ronnie Conerly, Investigator Ronnie Decell, Mayor Brad Rogers,Rankin County Investigator William Lindley, Investigator Chris Picou, Chief Tim Sarrett, Sergeant Sentel Easterling, Investigator Robbie Reid, Lieutenant John Johnson.

April Officer of the Month

We are happy to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month in April is Sergeant Archie Bennett. He is a 1994 graduate of Canton High School and graduated from Jackson State University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He graduated from MLEOTA in 1999. Sergeant Bennett began his law enforcement career with North Park Security and then worked at the Utica Police Department, Hinds Community College Police and  Hinds County Sheriff’s Department before starting to work at the Pearl Police Department in 2000. Sergeant Bennett has been assigned to the Outlets of Mississippi for a year and a half and demonstrates his commitment to the outlet mall, retailers, employees and customers every day. He has been instrumental in seizing large amounts of money, putting several shoplifting rings out of commission and stopping credit card fraud. Many of the criminals that Sergeant Bennett apprehended were wanted in several other states. Recently during the holidays an American Eagle employee had purchased a necklace for his younger sister and a customer in the store stole the necklace. Sergeant Bennett tracked the suspect to her home and recovered the necklace. This is just one example of the dedication and commitment that he has for his job. Outlets of Mississippi General Manager Kathy Hackshaw said “We like having the reputation of being a safe place to shop and the reputation among the criminal community that you will get caught here. Sergeant Bennett takes pride and ownership in his job at the outlet mall and we consider him an important part of our team.”

 

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce is presenting Sergeant Bennett with a framed certificate, a $100 Outlets of Mississippi Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a complete meal for two. Derek Havard with McIntosh & Associates donated a $50 Logan’s Roadhouse Gift Card, Scotts Miracle Gro donated a Fit Bit; H&R Block donated a $25 Kroger Gift Card, The Pearl Municipal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; The Outlets of Mississippi donated a $25 Gift Card; McAlister’s Deli donated a dinner for two; Mickey Anderson Photography donated a complimentary family photo shoot and Signmark donated a duffel bag.

January Officer of the Month

We are proud to announce that Officer Brandon Jordan was selected as the January Officer of the Month. Officer Jordan graduated from the Mississippi Challenge Academy at Camp Shelby in 2009 and later graduated from MLEOTA in 2014. Officer Jordan’s instinctive and observant style of policing ended the escapades of a serial armed robber. On December 22, 2016 while patrolling the City of Pearl, Officer Jordan spotted a suspicious vehicle on Pearson Road. The vehicle was sitting in the Subway parking lot with a male driver. Officer Jordan’s instincts told him something wasn’t right with this vehicle. He remembered a description matching the vehicle that he had just spotted. Officer Jordan waited for the vehicle to leave, developed probable cause, and stopped the car. The driver was identified and later confessed to the planning of an armed robbery at Subway. He also confessed to other robberies of multiple businesses in bordering cities, as well as several in Madison. This stop was one of the best in our department’s history.  This stop prevented an armed robbery of the Subway on Pearson Road and potentially many more.  Not only did he prevent an armed robbery in our city, he brought closure to many others. It also ended this serial robber’s crime spree. Officer Jordan demonstrates a tireless work ethic and is a very intuitive and observant Officer. We are fortunate to have him at the Pearl Police Department.

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Jordan with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket along with a complete meal for two. Derek Havard with McIntosh & Associates donated a $50 Logan’s Roadhouse Gift Card; Bullock Investigations donated a $25 Gift Card to Sombra Mexican Kitchen; Shane Fletcher with Farm Bureau Insurance Agency donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; McAlister’s Deli donated a meal for two; Tempstaff donated a $25 Gift Card to Bonefish Grill and Scott’s Miracle Gro donated a soft side cooler.

November Officer of the Month

We are pleased to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month is Officer Alfred Jenkins. Officer Jenkins is a Pearl High School graduate and began his career in 2003 with the MS Department of Corrections. He later worked at the Jackson Police Department before starting to work at Pearl PD in 2012. He served as a Reserve Officer and a Patrol Officer before becoming the School Resource Officer at Pearl High School. In addition to working at the High School during school hours, he also works most of the after school activities including football games, track meets and band competitions. Officer Jenkins is highly respected by the staff and students at the school and is a valuable asset to our community.

 

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Jenkins with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Basket complete with a meal for two. Derek Havard with McIntosh & Associates donated a $50 Moss Creek Fish House Gift Card; Bullock Investigations donated a $25 gift certificate to Sombra Mexican Restaurant; The Alumni House Sports Bar & Grill donated a gift certificate for dinner for two; The Pearl Municipal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; McAlister’s Deli donated a certificate for a meal for two; Firestone donated a Free Oil Change; Pizza Inn donated 2 complimentary buffet meals and Signmark donated a soft side cooler.

August POOM

We are pleased to announce that the Pearl Police Department Officer of the Month in August was Officer Steven Culberson. Officer Culberson has been in law enforcement since 2006 and with the Pearl Police Department since 2016. He responded to a call where an elderly man was choking on food. When the officers first arrived the man was unconscious and not breathing. Officer Culberson performed the Heimlich maneuver with no results, then an abdominal thrust to try to dislodge the blockage and finally a finger rake with no success. He then began CPR and finally the man took a gasping breath. He was then transferred to the local hospital and on last check he was listed in stable condition. In addition, Officer Culberson was patrolling an area after a residential burglary when he spotted the suspect’s vehicle. Upon checking the vehicle, the suspect was found to have stolen items from the burglary in the front seat. After getting him in handcuffs, with help from Sergeant Race Gordon and Detective Jim Brown, they proceeded to the residence where they also found three juveniles with drugs and arrested all persons involved. These are just two of the cases that demonstrate Officer Culberson’s dedication and commitment to his job and the city of Pearl.

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce presented Officer Culberson with a framed certificate, a $100 Bass Pro Gift Card and a Cracker Barrel Gift Basket complete with a gift card for a meal for two. Mickey Anderson Photography donated a complimentary Family Photo Session; Coffee News donated a $25 gift card to Moss Creek Fish House; The Pearl Municipal Credit Union donated a $25 Visa Gift Card; Jose’s Mexican Restaurant donated a $20 Gift Certificate; Pizza Inn donated 2 complimentary buffet meals; The Alumni House Sports Bar & Grill donated 2 complimentary lunches; McAlister’s Deli donated 2 complimentary meals and Signmark donated a soft side cooler.

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