Major John Treadwell Earns Nationwide Honor

The New Castle County Division of Police would like to congratulate Major John Treadwell on being awarded the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting Local Communities.

In May 2022 Major Treadwell won the Jefferson Award in Outstanding Service by Employees in the Workplace: New Castle County Government.

The Jefferson Award honors those who multiply good. Over the past five decades, the list of Jefferson Award recipients has been unparalleled. They include hundreds of public and private national figures —more than 63,000 unsung heroes and tens of thousands of employees and young people in communities across the country. These individuals represent the good that is happening all around us in every community across the nation. Upon receiving this award, Major Treadwell became a candidate for a National Jefferson Award.

Major Treadwell began his career with the New Castle County Division of Police in 1994 and has been committed to improving the community at each juncture of his career. The quote “To Whom Much is Given Much is Required” resonates with him. He believes in paying it forward. His volunteer efforts include, but are not limited to, serving on the Board of Directors for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), being a NOBLE Delaware Chapter member, running events for Charity Crossing and serving on their Board of Directors, and teaching at the Citizens Police Academy on his own time. He also volunteers on the statewide Crisis Intervention Committee. He trains law enforcement on how to interact with citizens in crisis and promotes whole-person wellness focusing on mental health initiatives for Law Enforcement Officers as our community members.

Last evening, at the Multiplying Good National Celebration of Service in Indianapolis, Indiana, Major Treadwell was awarded a National Jefferson Award, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting Local Communities.

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The members of the New Castle County Division of Police wish to congratulate Major Treadwell on receiving such an honor. Colonel Joseph Bloch, Chief of the New Castle County Division of Police said the following of the award winner, “Major Treadwell has been a champion of many initiatives over his twenty-eight-year career that have kept this Division on the forefront of community policing and community outreach.  He has focused much of his efforts on programs involving mental health, which are just now becoming an area of focus for many police departments around this country.  I commend Major Treadwell’s proactive efforts and I am proud that he has received this well-deserved national recognition.” 

New Castle County Director of Public Safety, Vaughn M. Bond, Jr. praised his colleague’s accomplishments saying “I am so proud to see John recognized for his service to others. I have watched him over the past 28 years unselfishly give of himself to help others who were facing life’s challenges. Not only has he poured himself into the communities that we serve in New Castle County, Delaware, but he has worked to improve the law enforcement community by teaching various topics to police recruits and officers across the country. John played a pivotal role in the establishment of the New Castle County Division of Police Behavioral Health Unit to serve those who are living with mental illness and/or substance abuse disorder. In addition, he has focused on the wellbeing of Law Enforcement Officers by educating them on the effects of accumulative stress which has been instrumental in our protecting our officer’s mental wellbeing”

“This is a well-deserved and well-earned recognition for Major Treadwell, a true testament to his work in the community. This is wonderful accomplishment not just for Major Treadwell, but for all the members of the New Castle County Division of Police,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “Thank you to the Multiplying Good and Jefferson Awards Foundation for their continued partnership with New Castle County and their work in recognizing those who build up our community.”

Upon learning he was the recipient of this honor Major Treadwell provided the following remarks: “I believe everybody can serve or help others in some capacity. Some can provide funding or other resources, some can provide a reassuring smile or encouraging word…but everyone can serve others.”

Once again, the members of the Division of Police, the Department of Public Safety, and all New Castle County Government offer our warmest congratulations to Major Treadwell.

POLICE IMPLEMENT HOLISTIC  OFFICER WELLNESS PROGRAM

(New Castle, DE 19720) In keeping with the distinct designation of being at the forefront of police innovation, the New Castle County Division of Police is announcing the inception of the Holistic Officer Wellness Program (HOW).

The goal of HOW is to provide a service that delivers prevention and treatment of potential mental health issues for New Castle County Division of Police personnel and their retirees.  This program will support wellness within the Division by offering a variety of well-being enhancement opportunities to officers, civilian support staff, and their families.

This program will focus on four principles of overall wellness: mental, physical, social, and spiritual. For example, the program has a certified personal trainer available to assist officers with nutrition and fitness.  The program will also offer financial wellness presentations to assist officers with planning for current or future financial needs.

Recently, the program has added iRest, a meditation practice developed by Dr. Richard Miller based on the ancient tradition of Yoga Nidra and adapted to suit the conditions of modern life. 

Based on current studies with iRest in the military, the program has shown to be effective for conditions including chronic pain, sleep problems, depression and anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.  This trauma-informed yoga is based on a particular understanding of trauma, one that emphasizes its impact on the entire mind-body system, as opposed to particular mental states (e.g., troubling memories) viewed in isolation from the physical body.

A certified iRest Meditation, Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor, Jennifer Boileau, has been added to the staff.

This project was supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number 15JCOPS-21-GG-02453-SPPS awarded to New Castle County Division of Police by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

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COMMUNITY ALERT: POLICE INVESTIGATE “BAIL SCAM”

(New Castle, DE 19720)  On Monday,  June 13th, 2022, police officers from the New Castle County Division of Police were dispatched to multiple phone scams.

 At approximately 3:00 p.m.,  officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Kenwood Road in the community of Oak Hill,  for the report of a fraud complaint.  When the officers arrived, they learned that the 90-year-old female victim received a phone call from someone pretending to be her granddaughter.  The subject pretending to be her granddaughter told her that she was involved in a car crash and needed bail money for release.  The victim then spoke to a person pretending to be her granddaughter’s lawyer.  This second subject told the victim to obtain $15,000.00 cash from her bank and a “Deputy” would respond to her residence for pickup.  Soon after, a white male with a goatee wearing a brown shirt and hat, sunglasses, and a yellow reflector vest came to the victim’s residence and took the cash from the victim.

At 3:30 p.m., officers were also dispatched to the 600 block of Beaver Falls Place in the community of Little Falls Townhouses for a similar incident.  When the officers arrived, they learned that the 88-year-old-victim was contacted by a subject pretending to be his daughter.  This subject was very emotional and stated that she was in jail.  He then received a second call from a subject who stated that his granddaughter would need $18,000 to bail out of jail.  The subject then stated that he would be sending someone by to pick up the cash.  He placed the money in an envelope, and it was picked up by a black female in her mid-20’s-early 30s, wearing a blue, pink, and paisley shirt with a black Adidas hat, a black face mask, and black sunglasses.

At 4:04 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Foulkstone Road, in the community of Sharpley.  When they arrived, they learned that the 83-year-old victim was contacted by a subject pretending to be his granddaughter.  An identical plot was given to this victim, and he retrieved $18, 000.  When the runner arrived, the victim asked for the subject’s ID.  When he refused the victim kept the money and shut the door in the subject’s face.  The subject was approximately 6′ tall, white male weighing approximately  250 pounds.  He was wearing a baseball-style hat that was dark in color, with brown khaki pants, and appeared to be 30-40 years of age.

At 7:50 p.m., officers investigated another case located at the unit block of Rockwood Drive, in the community of Meadowood.  When the officers arrived, they learned that this 87-year-old victim was given an identical story that was given earlier.  This victim gave the suspect $9,000.00 cash.  The suspect that responded to this victim’s residence was a black female wearing all black clothing and a black face mask.

If you have any information related to these investigations or can identify the suspects in these photos, please contact Det Adam Weldon at (302)395-8171 or adam.weldon@newcastlede.gov or by calling the New Castle County Police non-emergency number at 302-573-2800. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or visit us on Facebook at New Castle County Police Department.

 Also, If you think you have been the victim of a scam or fraud please do not be embarrassed or ashamed.  These scammers can be very convincing, and you are not alone.  Contact the New Castle County Police non-emergency line (302)-573-2800 to report a scam.

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