Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland Police Department Swears in Three New Officers; Promotes Two Veteran Officers

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland Police Department Swears in Three New Officers; Promotes Two Veteran Officers

Westland, MI - On Monday, November 22 the Westland Police Department swore in two new Police Officers and promoted two veteran officers to the rank of Sergeant.

"Recently Sergeants Jeffery Kavanaugh and Harlan Epperson both retired from the Westland Police Department," commented Wetland Police Chief Jeff Jedrusik. "Both men served our community with honorable police careers. With their retirements, we welcome three new police officers and the promotion of two veteran officers to the rank of Sergeant."

Ryan Damico is one of the new officers. He is a Westland resident and formerly served as a Westland Police Explorer. He graduated with an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Schoolcraft College and graduated from the Wayne County Regional Police Academy in 2013. He also served three years with the Romulus Police Department as an Officer prior to accepting the position with the Westland Police Department.

Curtis Johns is a Newport resident and attended the Detroit Police Academy and served the City of Detroit for two years. He left the Detroit Police Department to serve on the Flat Rock Police Department for 13 years. Johns has received specialized training in accident investigation and is a trained evidence technician.

Jacob Broda is a Livonia resident and has served as a Westland Service Aide for 2.5 years. Broda is the first Public Service Aide to successfully test and promote through the program into an Officer position. He graduated with an Associate's degree from Schoolcraft College in 2015 and from the Wayne County Regional Academy this month.

The two veteran officers to receive promotions to the rank of Sergeant are Officer Robert Fruit and Officer Stephen Vidaurri.

Officer Fruit started his law enforcement career with the Highland Park Police Department for 5 years, after which he came to Westland and has served for 16 years. Fruit has worked assignments in the Westland Police Community Police Unit, Alcohol Enforcement Bureau and the Traffic Bureau. Fruit holds certifications as a Drug Recognition Expert, is a Standardized Field Sobriety Training Instructor and is a certified Accident Re-constructionist. He has received two distinguished awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and 2 life-saving awards.

Officer Vidaurri began his career in law enforcement with the Detroit Police Department for 2.5 years, after which he moved to Westland where he has served for 19 years. He has a Bachelor's degree for Olivet College. Vidaurri was a 13 year member of Westland PD's Tactical Response Unit (SWAT), a motorcycle officer, a field training officer, a member of the Honor Guard and was assigned to Westland's Special Investigations Unit and served as a Firearms Instructor.

"I am proud to welcome these new, highly qualified individuals to Westland. Our community looks forward to their service and dedication to the residents.," commented Mayor Wild. "I wish Sgt. Fruit amd Sgt. Vidaurri the best of luck in their new positions."

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary at (734)467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds if shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, on of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.