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| Sheriff David Dalrymple with SGT George Volpe, the 2015 Nathan Ogden award winner |
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| Larry Palmer, President of the NorCo Police Chiefs Association, congratulates SGT Volpe on the award. |
You may think Deputy Sheriffs exist to serve court papers and provide courtroom security. That's certainly true, but they also track down fugitives. Techella Bellamy, a violent Crips street gang member, had escaped from a juvenile detention facility in New Jersey,and was believed to be hiding out somewhere in Easton. SGT George Volpe was asked to locate him.
Over the next ten months, Volpe and other Deputies used social media, confidential informants and law enforcement contacts to track Bellamy. In numerous raids, Volpe and police were able to arrest other Crips, including one wanted for murder. He seized drugs and weapons that included a machine gun. But Bellamy always eluded him. In one instance, he jumped out a window just as police arrived to set up a perimeter.
During this time, Bellamy had become a one-man crime wave. He become quite active as a carjacker and burglar. One woman reported that she attempted to pull him out of her car on Easton's 14th Street. Easton and Wilson Borough police then tied him to the shooting of two people in Wilson Borough. Volpe, Easton police, Wilson police and the U.S. Marshal's Violent Fugitive Taskforce intensified efforts and decided to hit two places at once, one at Washington Street in Easton and the other at Pawnee Street in Bethlehem. Though those raids were unsuccessful, SGT Volpe was given information that Bellamy was hiding out at an apartment in Phillipsburg. There he was found, tucked into an attic crawl space. Police also recovered a black handgun. Phillipsburg police indicated that there had been recent car thefts in that area, as well as a robbery by a person who matched Bellamy's description.
According to Sheriff David Dalrymple, himself a former Major in the New Jersey State Police, this was a critical arrest. Had Bellamy continued, "It is almost assured that additional lives in Northampton County would have been taken and innocent people, potentially including law enforcement officers, injured or killed." Dalrymple also credited a "true spirit of cooperation" that existed among the many law enforcement agencies who participated in apprehending an armed and dangerous criminal.
Echoing the Sheriff, SGT Volpe credited "everybody coming together."
"We got a guy off the street," he said simply.
Previous Nathan Ogden Award Winners:
2002 - Ptlm. Thomas Barndt, Lower Saucon Township
2003 - Ptlm. Ronald Jones, Lower Saucon Township
2004 - Det. Scott Lipare, Bethlehem Township
2005 - Ptlm. Jeff Johnston, Hellertown
2006 - Ptlm. Dean Wilson, Bethlehem Township
2007 - Ptlm. Anthony Marks, Bethlehem
2008 - Ptlm. Harry Wyant, Pen Argyl
2009 - Det. Daniel Reagan, Easton
2010 - Capt. George Boksan, Bethlehem Township
2011 - Det. James Smith, Bethlehem
2012 - Ptlm. Robert Lasso, Freemansburg
2013 - Ptlm. Steven Horvath, Pen Argyl
2014 - Sgt. Richard Blake, Bethlehem Township
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| L to R: Chief Deputy Chris Zieger, Sheriff David Dalrymple, SGT David Volpe and Nathan Ogden historian Bill Hillanbrand |
15 comments:
Isn't one of the reasons Brown canned Miller is that he permitted deputies to be involved in these kind of cooperative law enforcement efforts? He thought Miller was overstepping his authority and wasting the time of deputies who are primarily servants of the court. Maybe that's why Brownie did not participate in the ceremony. Would have illustrated his hypocrisy.
Congratulations George, you deserve the recognition, keep up the good work. Stay safe and watch your 6.
Bernie,
Thanks for giving the recognition and space on your blog towards this. Would have thought that with your derogatory comments towards Corrections Officers in the past you would have thought the same of the Deputies, thinking they may only belong inside the courthouse.
You should look at the Sheriff's Department and see the number of Deputies that started as Corrections Officers, and I must add they all did some investigations while at the jail, to include George who was very instumental with much of the gang related information that was shared with many different Law Enforcement agencies when he was at the jail.
As always I stand by my fellow officers both past and present, and will always have their back.
Lt., The only COs I have criticized are those involved in contraband rings or drugs. My most recent post about the shakedown at the jail was not "derogatory." It just makes clear that criminal investigations should be performed by criminal investigators. That is by no means derogatory. I would not want criminal investigators in charge of a jail.
Let me add that deputy sheriffs have no real police powers. They cannot get involved in criminal investigations, either, with the exception of fugitive hunts or anyone for whom there is a warrant. Any arrest they would make outside of that would be tossed. This is not being derogatory, but honest. The law needs to be changed if you want them to have or corrections officers to have real police powers.
So far as I know, Miller was fired bc (1) he actively supported Callahan and (2) opposed a regional crime center. This kind of cooperative law enforcement effort concerns warrants, and that is something sheriffs are required to do. I doubt seriously that Miller's termination had anything to do with participation in fugitive task forces.
Bernie,
How about we agree to disgree on the matter for now. When I take a break shoveling horse manure, (literally), and I take a ride off the mountain we can meet and discuss the fine points over lunch. Of course my treat as I understand from reading your comments that bottom feeding bloggers never pay. However, it will be a cheap lunch as I am a retired county employee.
Hey Mark...from having shit tossed on you to shoveling it. Priceless! Enjoy life my brother, you earned it! Tom Davis (not retired...yet)
Mark, No problem. Let's meet some time. We can flip for the bill. BOHare5948@aol.com
I can think of a one-woman crime wave.
BERNIE, 2ed paragraph of 11.03 post- Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties are different. Deputy Volpe has done an outstanding job being somewhat inventive. He has been ahead of the curve during past administrations and -With a Warrant in his hand, I would not want him looking for me,even after all the gags I pulled over the years . Deputy Volpe is a standout ,and I can tell he loves to go to work. Congratulations to him.
George "Dog" Chapman-Volpe
Surprisingly Constable's actually have statutory powers of arrest. I haven't yet figured out why Deputy Sheriff's don't with the exception of the County in Pittsburgh.
Anon5;05 25 PERCENT of all officers killed, with in line duty deaths,are shot with the firearm they were carrying. This is alarming . I have been an advocate and stated ,while on Easton's safety committee years back ,to not allow police to carry a round in the chamber until they have to ramp up to another level. Bernie's favorites are not 'village idiots ' as you so suggest. When an officer responds to any call ,they are confronted with issues the you Sir or Madam don't get at the plant or your office. You or me can't be the the judge. Wack-jobs are walking among us. The Cops are like targets these days by sub-human non-tax-payers that want to get paid for causing trouble. Nobody is confronted more in the world than the Jews in their territory. Learn from them ,they are the best overall in the world.Otherwise you comment holds no water.
I personally arrested a man years ago that shot a firearm in the Benny and Smith plant because he was 'after his girlfriend" . Now can you imagine today 'SWAT " and 'Special Operations" showing up in the parking lot. Well sometime an arresting officer has to take it down then .I was lucky I didn't take it down ,but had to deal with him later.Stop criticizing police that have to 'GET IN THE SITUATION ". They are human and will make mistakes and also bring justice.Now I am old and washed up -less than half the man I may have been . So I say this to you from having lots of time to do nothing .
Atleast two sheriff departments in PA patrol and answer 911 calls which also investigate. Sheriffs can arrest and cite any violation they see. This just depends on the politics and how nice everyone in the county plays with each other. Now that we are completely taking away from what this article is truely about I would like to congratulate Sergeant Volpe on a well led "investigation" .
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