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Recognizing Officer Tim Bradley for his many years of service to the Saint Paul Police Department and the City of Saint Paul.
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WHEREAS, Officer Tim Bradley began his career with the Saint Paul Police Department on September 8, 1975 and will be retiring on January 28, 2011, having served 35 ½ years as a police officer in Saint Paul; and,
WHEREAS, Tim has worked under five different chiefs of police and at three different stations on the East Side. He worked as a member of the Junk Yard Dawgs at the Jackson Street Junk Yard, then at the East Team on East 7th Street and finally at the Eastern District Headquarters on Payne Avenue; and,
WHEREAS, Tim has been recognized and highly decorated for his outstanding service both within the community and within the department, having earned the Medal of Valor (Class A), 2 Medals of Merit (Class B), a Class C Commendation, three Chief's Awards, and selection twice as Officer of the Year; and,
WHEREAS, Tim was the originator and architect of the Saint Paul Police bike patrol unit. He and partner Officer Lucia Wroblewski wrote a proposal for the unit, submitted it to the Chief, and instituted the pilot program in 1993. He spent the next decade as lead bike trainer for the department and trained hundreds of police officers in Saint Paul and throughout the State of Minnesota; and,
WHEREAS, Tim was proud of having been a Field Training Officer and, when the rank existed, he was selected as one of only 13 Master Patrol Training Officers in the entire department. He has trained many rookies and was known as a stickler for requiring them to wear the tie, use turn signals during routine driving, and treat citizens the way they would treat a loved one. Integrity and treating people with respect were qualities he required of his rookies; and,
WHEREAS, Tim considered his annual role as Santa at Children's Hospital during Cops and Kids events to be one of the most significant things in which he was involved during his career. He was Santa for 10 years - helping not only the kids and their loved ones feel better but also consoling and listening to so many others who sought out Santa like a magnet during the event. He helped countless people with his loving, kind, tender, jolly, magical, and charismatic spirit; and,
WHEREAS, Tim also served as Santa's biggest Elf as he decorated the East District Office buildings at the holidays. For the past 25 years, he designed, built, purchased, organized, and did the heavy work of decorating, including the memorable "Christmas for Heroes" display in 1994 after the murders of Officers Ryan, Jones, and Laser. It is a miracle he didn't get injured or killed at the heights at which he worked, with a partner terrified of heights, and with all the heavy lifting he had to do to make the displays beautiful and memorable. He did it for the memories of the slain officers, for the cops, and for the community at large - but most especially for the kids in the neighborhood; and,
WHEREAS, Tim also knows how to take care of business and is incredibly driven and courageous in the face of threats to the public or to the police. It was just last year that Tim dove to tackle a suspect who had fled after a taser strike failed. He held onto the suspect's legs while the suspect fought hard to get away, giving his partner time to reload and deploy the taser again. The grass stains on his uniform shirt were so ground in that the shirt could not be laundered and had to be thrown away; and,
WHEREAS, Tim only wanted to be known as a street cop and was proud to be one. He never sought promotion. He was a beat cop for many years retiring as the Payne-Arcade Beat Officer. He strove to be a "peaceful warrior" and succeeded masterfully in that role. He has a way with people and to this day nearly everyone - even most of the people he arrests - call him by name with a smile; and,
WHEREAS, When Squad 390 retires on 1-28-11, calls to the East supervisor about squad domestics are going to diminish, but so will one of the longest running, most successful, and most loving "dynamic duos" in the history of the St Paul Police Department. His partner Officer Lucia Wroblewski, the Saint Paul Police Department, and the citizens of the city and most especially of the East Side will deeply miss our peaceful warrior - Tim Bradley;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council recognizes Officer Tim Bradley on his retirement and encourages all residents to thank him for his many, successful years of service to the Saint Paul Police Department and the entire Saint Paul community.