Throughout the course of the past year, Officer Robert P. McKenzie has accomplished several things that distinguish him among his peers. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to the Police Department and the community alike. He routinely demonstrates a professional attitude and strong work ethic.
Officer McKenzie is among the department leaders in all areas of measured productivity. He performs best in the areas of self-initiated work. For example, he made 13 DUI arrests, compared to his shift’s average of 9. He wrote 36 parking violations, compared to his shift’s average of 7. He also conducted more than 2,000 Directed Patrols, Foot Patrols and Field Interviews while making over 50 Misdemeanor and Felony arrests.
He works diligently to patrol his assigned zone and seek out incidents that may require police action. Because of this he has been directly involved in 2 major incidents. First, Officer McKenzie located a stranded motorist who was in full-term labor on the phone with York County 911 who was giving birthing instructions to a family member. He was able to help with the delivery and calm the situation. Second, while on routine patrol, Officer McKenzie identified, chased, caught and arrested 2 juveniles that had been committing a series of vandalism and property damage crimes in a certain area. Because of his actions, a number of cases were able to be closed. Officer McKenzie also took on the leadership of the department's Explorer Post. He has increased the number of participants as well as officers involved in the instruction of the classes. I believe this says a lot about his commitment to the community due to the fact that he has not even been a member of the police department for a full 2 years.
It is for these reasons that Officer Rob McKenzie has been selected as the 2007 Officer of the Year for the James City County Police Department. Officer McKenzie represents the best of what is expected of a James City County Police Officer and is recognized for his efforts and outstanding service to the community.