Police Officer of the Month

August 2006

Police Officer First Class Patrick McDonald was selected by Chief William McMahon as the Police Officer of the Month for August. McDonald exhibited leadership, and commitment to the profession throughout the month. He demonstrated his support of the department’s goal to traffic safety through diligent enforcement efforts.

During the month of August, McDonald handled more than 40 calls for service, 20 of which were insight reports. During one 12-hour shift, McDonald had three insight motor vehicle violations, one of which resulted in an arrest. He also wrote 69 pieces of traffic, of which 35 were state citations and made seven arrests.

Of note, McDonald observed that there was an increase in Pennsylvania temporary license plates being displayed on vehicles in the area of Stevens Forest Road. McDonald began conducting traffic stops on vehicles displaying these tags for various traffic violations. He learned that these tags were fraudulently issued by a car dealership in Pennsylvania. McDonald contacted the auto theft unit, which in turn contacted the Pa. State Police and Pa. Department of Transportation. Using the evidence that PFC McDonald collected, the Department of Transportation closed down the car dealership.

McDonald did not stop there. He continued to notice an unusually high number of vehicles in his beat displaying Pennsylvania temporary tags. He continued to take enforcement action when appropriate and as a result, he was able to develop an informant. The investigation led him to a second car dealership in Chambersburg, Pa. McDonald contacted the Pa. Department of Transportation, which closed down the second dealership.

McDonald’s tenacity in this case resulted in several unlicensed drivers, and unregistered or uninsured vehicles, being taken off the road. McDonald is commended for his diligence.

In other cases, McDonald showed that he is a team player by assisting his squad members in fraud cases. McDonald’s expertise in this area led to the capture of a fraud suspect who had attempted to run down D/Sgt. Yodzis on the parking lot of the Mall in Columbia. The suspect was found to have written thousands of dollars in bad checks at numerous stores throughout the mall.

PFC McDonald’s efforts during the month of August have made Howard County a safer community.