City of Winter Haven Proclaims May 11 to 17 as Police Week
by James Coulter
To honor the brave men and women who worked tirelessly to protect and serve the local community, the City of Winter Haven has designated this week as Police Week.
At the regular meeting of the Winter Haven City Commission on Mon. May 12, Charlie Bird, Assistant City Manager, presented an official proclamation designating the week between May 12 and 17 as Police Week.
Police Week was designated as such, according to the proclamation, “in recognition of the contribution law enforcement officers have made to our civilization through their dedicated and selfless efforts in enforcing our laws.”
The proclamation also designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day “in honor of the Federal, State, and municipal peace officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty.”
“It is important that people throughout our community know and understand the problems, duties, and responsibilities of law enforcement agencies and that members recognize their duty to serve the people of the community by safeguarding life and property, by protecting them against violence or disorder, and by protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression or intimidation,” the proclamation read.
Vance Monroe, Police Chief, offered his sincere gratitude to the City Commission for honoring him and his fellow officers at the city police department for their service to the community through this official proclamation. He offered the following words:
“On behalf of the men and women of the Winter Haven Police Department, I want to sincerely thank you for this proclamation. Your recognition today means a great deal to all of us who wear the badge and serve this incredible city.
We are proud to say that through strong partnerships with each of you on this dais and with our community members, Winter Haven continues to be one of the safest cities in Florida. Our historically low crime rate of 1.71 is a direct result of that collaboration, and it is a reflection of what we can accomplish with trust, transparency, and teamwork come together.
This proclamation reminds us that we are not in this alone. We are grateful for your leadership, your support, and your confidence in the work we do each and every day. Thank you for allowing us the honor to serve and protect and grow with the City of Winter Haven.”
Sgt. Shaquille Haynes likewise expressed his gratitude: “We take so much pride in being able to serve this community each and every day. So, to be able to receive this recognition is just fantastic. So, we really appreciate it.”
Sgt. LaDarius Cooper, who works in the Investigative Services Bureau, expressed his appreciation to the commission for allowing his department to provide a voice to the victims without one.
Sgt Shaquille Haynes at podium
“The victims that we deal with oftentimes have no voice,” he explained. “Either they are afraid to speak or, because of the nature of the case, they cannot speak anymore. We have to advocate on their behalf, and we cannot do that if we do not have the resources or tools afforded to us by the commissioners. So, on behalf of those who cannot speak or are afraid to speak, thank you.”
