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An up close and personal interview with Veteran Police Officer and Togetherweserved.com Member:
LT David A. Gilbert (1982-Present)
Davison City Police Department
WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO MAKE A CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?
 I was offered a scholarship (half ride) to the Phoenix Institute of Technology for Architecture prior to graduating from high school. As much as I enjoyed residential design and drafting I already knew that I wanted to be a Policeman. As a child I was taken by our local Chief of Police, Frank Boyce. He was the first Chief of Police in Davison and frankly his jurisdiction didn't seem to have boundaries. For a small community he was legendary as a policeman, but always took time for us kids
Later on as a teenager I worked for my neighbor Frank Meyers, breaking and laying concrete. He was also a policeman here in Davison and I had the opportunity to ride-along with him on occasion. That's where I became bit, so to speak.
I did a semester of College here at Mott Community College studying Criminal Justice after high school. With the economy being in the dumps here in Michigan I joined the United States Marine Corps and contracted to be a Military Policeman upon my enlistment.
BRIEFLY, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
  Working in a small community leaves little opportunity for being anything more than a patrolman. In our department there's the Chief of Police, Lieutenant and nine patrolman, four of which are part time. I had resolved that I would be happy being a patrolman my entire career as nothing is really taken away from you when it comes to any incident; you personally end up working it all the way through anyway. Furthermore Davison is my hometown and there isn't anything more rewarding than policing the community in which you were raised and helping those individuals and families I've known for so long.
DID YOU SERVE IN THE MILITARY PRIOR? AND IF SO, IN WHAT BRANCH OF SERVICE? IN WHAT WAYS HAS MILITARY SERVICE INFLUENCED YOUR CAREER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT?
 I served in the United State Marine Corps between 1982 & 1986. The majority of my military career was spent in California policing Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton in Northern San Diego County. As a result I had a lot of great training opportunities through relationships with CHP and the Border Patrol. My last year however was in the Philippines. Although the time was far from being great I did take away from it a significant amount of pride in what we have in our great nation compared to a third world country that puts little value on others liberties or life.
WHICH, OF THE AGENCIES OR DEPARTMENTS YOU WERE ASSIGNED TO, DO YOU HAVE THE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY?
 The fondest memories are in Davison where I am currently. As I mentioned before there's no greater feeling than helping those in your own community & having them openly recognize your commitment. As a Police Composite Sketch Artist I prepared a Sketch of a suspect in a series of Sexual Assaults upon elderly woman in garden level apartments. Before I could release the sketch to the media a Burton Policeman (Bruce Burton) was already out the door having recognized the suspect from the sketch and in a foot pursuit with him. He was later captured, convicted of three of the assaults and sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
 There's so many different things that has impacted my career. If I were to put a handle on one specific thing it would likely have been the kidnapping and abduction of a seven-year-old girl on her way home from school. Through a collaborative effort one of my officers (Matt Banks) was able to locate her abductor and take him into custody. She was with him at the time and physically fine but she had been molested in the meantime. Through my interview I was able to establish a rapport and he confessed to the abduction/molestation and a couple other sexual assaults. He was a serial pedophile and subsequently sentenced to 65 years as a result of our work. The collaborative effort of the initial call takers, first responders, the nine-year-old sister of the victim who witnessed the abduction, the outside agencies assisting in the search and the subsequent investigation was what impacted me the most. TEAM WORK at it's best!
OF THE MEDALS, AWARDS OR BADGES YOU RECEIVED, WHAT IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
 I'm the most honored by my 2nd Community Policing Award. It was awarded for the development of a trading card program in our community. Essentially we offered trading cards with the photographs of each department member upon them. Children would have to approach each individual officer to obtain their respective trading cards. Once a child collected all of the trading cards (13) they'd come into the police department with their cards and register for a drawing for a Mountain Bike. We've done this 3 times over the past nine years and have given away a boys and girls mountain bike each time along with a bunch of other prizes during a bicycle rodeo. During the rodeo we taught safe riding practices, registered bicycles and gave away bicycle helmets. The whole idea was to show children that police officers are not beyond approach.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON FROM YOUR CAREER MADE THE MOST POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOU AND WHY?
 That would've been Marion "Whitey" Kayne, my Sergeant at Eaton County Sheriff Department. Whitey had came from the Inner City of Detroit as a well seasoned Police Officer. I first met him in the police academy as an instructor. What impressed me the most was his devotion to the Deputies who served with him and his ability to mentor effortlessly. He was one of the most patient men I've known when shit's hittin the fan.
Whitey retired in 2000 and passed away earlier this year in a fire at his residence in Charlottte, Michigan.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR CAREER THAT WAS FUNNY AT THE TIME AND STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
 It was probably fifteen years ago, my friend Bruce was working for the Davison Township Police Department (our neighboring jurisdiction) at the time and called me to write an accident report for him after he struck a deer with his cruiser. When I got on I couldn't help but laugh. Bruce had a deer cross the road from the left running to his right. The weather was nice and Bruce had his driver's side window down and arm resting upon the window sill. He didn't have any time to avoid the deer and hit it in the head with the left front headlight assembly of the cruiser. The rear-end of the deer swung around and slammed against the left front fender ahead of the rear view mirror. The impact caused the deer to release its bowels. Aside from the driver's side of the cruiser being covered in the excrement, so was the left side of Bruce's face and his left arm!
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER?
 The one thing that I reinforce constantly with my young officers is that people are different. Many are similar but many didn't grow up as you did. Not all of them have the same morals, values and integrity as you. There are people out there that will bewilder and lie to you. People who don't have the same conscious as you and who won't hesitate to hurt you if not kill you. Don't ever allow yourself to become complacent.
HOW HAS SERVING AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU CONDUCT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AND YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS OUTSIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT?
 My law enforcement career has enabled me to meet a great number of people I doubt I would've met otherwise. As a result, outside of work I've participated with many of the service groups in our community benefiting our residents and community schools. I encourage others to do that same because of the self reward.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR A ROOKIE WHO HAS JUST PUT ON THE BADGE?
Don't allow a broken judicial system or the revolving door upon our prisons to discourage you in your career choice or with your desire to serve.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU FEEL THIS WEBSITE CAN BENEFIT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY?
Having been a member of TWS Marine Corps for the past five years I've been able to reconnect with over three dozen Marines I served with some twenty-seven years ago in addition to staying up on current Marine Corps events. I can only hope that "Police: together we served" provides me the same opportunities. And who knows when I'm eligible to retire in a couple years I may find it a resource to continue my law enforcement career elsewhere.
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TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who currently serve, or who previously served as a US Police or Federal Officer, and conveys how serving their Country and Community has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like your story to be featured in a future edition of Voices, or know someone else who may be interested, please contact TWS Voices HERE.
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I was offered a scholarship (half ride) to the Phoenix Institute of Technology for Architecture prior to graduating from high school. As much as I enjoyed residential design and drafting I already knew that I wanted to be a Policeman. As a child I was taken by our local Chief of Police, Frank Boyce. He was the first Chief of Police in Davison and frankly his jurisdiction didn't seem to have boundaries. For a small community he was legendary as a policeman, but always took time for us kids
I served in the United State Marine Corps between 1982 & 1986. The majority of my military career was spent in California policing Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton in Northern San Diego County. As a result I had a lot of great training opportunities through relationships with CHP and the Border Patrol. My last year however was in the Philippines. Although the time was far from being great I did take away from it a significant amount of pride in what we have in our great nation compared to a third world country that puts little value on others liberties or life.
The fondest memories are in Davison where I am currently. As I mentioned before there's no greater feeling than helping those in your own community & having them openly recognize your commitment. As a Police Composite Sketch Artist I prepared a Sketch of a suspect in a series of Sexual Assaults upon elderly woman in garden level apartments. Before I could release the sketch to the media a Burton Policeman (Bruce Burton) was already out the door having recognized the suspect from the sketch and in a foot pursuit with him. He was later captured, convicted of three of the assaults and sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.
There's so many different things that has impacted my career. If I were to put a handle on one specific thing it would likely have been the kidnapping and abduction of a seven-year-old girl on her way home from school. Through a collaborative effort one of my officers (Matt Banks) was able to locate her abductor and take him into custody. She was with him at the time and physically fine but she had been molested in the meantime. Through my interview I was able to establish a rapport and he confessed to the abduction/molestation and a couple other sexual assaults. He was a serial pedophile and subsequently sentenced to 65 years as a result of our work. The collaborative effort of the initial call takers, first responders, the nine-year-old sister of the victim who witnessed the abduction, the outside agencies assisting in the search and the subsequent investigation was what impacted me the most. TEAM WORK at it's best!
I'm the most honored by my 2nd Community Policing Award. It was awarded for the development of a trading card program in our community. Essentially we offered trading cards with the photographs of each department member upon them. Children would have to approach each individual officer to obtain their respective trading cards. Once a child collected all of the trading cards (13) they'd come into the police department with their cards and register for a drawing for a Mountain Bike. We've done this 3 times over the past nine years and have given away a boys and girls mountain bike each time along with a bunch of other prizes during a bicycle rodeo. During the rodeo we taught safe riding practices, registered bicycles and gave away bicycle helmets. The whole idea was to show children that police officers are not beyond approach.
That would've been Marion "Whitey" Kayne, my Sergeant at Eaton County Sheriff Department. Whitey had came from the Inner City of Detroit as a well seasoned Police Officer. I first met him in the police academy as an instructor. What impressed me the most was his devotion to the Deputies who served with him and his ability to mentor effortlessly. He was one of the most patient men I've known when shit's hittin the fan.
It was probably fifteen years ago, my friend Bruce was working for the Davison Township Police Department (our neighboring jurisdiction) at the time and called me to write an accident report for him after he struck a deer with his cruiser. When I got on I couldn't help but laugh. Bruce had a deer cross the road from the left running to his right. The weather was nice and Bruce had his driver's side window down and arm resting upon the window sill. He didn't have any time to avoid the deer and hit it in the head with the left front headlight assembly of the cruiser. The rear-end of the deer swung around and slammed against the left front fender ahead of the rear view mirror. The impact caused the deer to release its bowels. Aside from the driver's side of the cruiser being covered in the excrement, so was the left side of Bruce's face and his left arm!
The one thing that I reinforce constantly with my young officers is that people are different. Many are similar but many didn't grow up as you did. Not all of them have the same morals, values and integrity as you. There are people out there that will bewilder and lie to you. People who don't have the same conscious as you and who won't hesitate to hurt you if not kill you. Don't ever allow yourself to become complacent.
My law enforcement career has enabled me to meet a great number of people I doubt I would've met otherwise. As a result, outside of work I've participated with many of the service groups in our community benefiting our residents and community schools. I encourage others to do that same because of the self reward.
