Tampa Police Department Officer of the Year - Officer Paul Smalley

Master Police Officer Paul Smalley is an integral member of the Tampa Police Department, serving as the lead planner for special events throughout the City of Tampa. The Gasparilla events are one of the many responsibilities this 21-year veteran is tasked with. During the 2010 Gasparilla season, both the President and Vice President planned a visit to Tampa together during the week between the Children’s and Day Parade, which added extra efforts to his event coordination.  With the additional Presidential security, a last minute change in the President’s route and nearly 500,000 additional people in Tampa for Gasparilla, it required a lot of management.  But as usual, all three major events went off without a hitch. As if the Gasparilla Events weren’t enough, he also coordinates the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Puerto Rican Parade, the Outback Bowl Parade, as well as other major events and smaller events such as bicycle races, runs, festivals and dignitary visits.  Each year, he tackles more than 100 events that hundreds of thousands of people enjoy and his planning makes the department’s commitment look effortless.  When it comes to catching criminals, Master Patrol Officer David Shepler has the ability to track them down.  On one occasion, when MPO Shepler heard over the radio that a man was attempting to kidnap a disabled woman he quickly sprung into action.  His immediate response to the call and sharp observational skills kept a dangerous felon from fleeing the scene.