FROM: Sergeant K. L. Woodson

Supervisor, NPD 9-NPO Unit

SUBJECT: West Division Officer of the Quarter Nomination

Officer A. Morquecho 3375 should be named West Division Officer of the Quarter. Officer Morquecho is assigned to the NPO Unit, covering M12’s beat. I have supervised Officer Morquecho for approximately one year and he has impressed me in the past and continues to do so. I feel that Officer Morquecho is an NPO in the truest sense of the title. He has an intricate knowledge of his beat, knows the crime trends on it and actively pursues the criminals on his beat to a successful conclusion.

Officer Morquecho will become aware of a crime committed on his beat and will often conduct investigative follow up work in an effort to get the criminal off of the street, and thus break that criminal’s trend of illegal acts, more quickly. Several examples follow:

Officer Morquecho was approached by a citizen on his beat who reported that someone had been using that person’s credit card fraudulently. The complainant had an idea who the person was and how they had obtained the credit card. Officer Morquecho determined that the criminal had used the card at the QT located on Alta Mere. Officer Morquecho met with the store manager and obtained a surveillance video of the card being used. He then met with the complainant and had him identify the criminal, which the complainant readily did. Officer Morquecho then obtained written statements from the complainant and two witnesses. Officer Morquecho’s actions allowed the detective assigned to the case to expedite the investigation and get an arrest warrant signed more quickly.

Officer Morquecho learned of an offense involving the fraudulent use of a credit card used at the Hampton Inn located at West Freeway and Lackland. The complainant was a business woman who resided in South Carolina and had stayed at another Hampton Inn located on the Northside. Officer Morquecho met with the Hampton Inn employee on Lackland as well as the manager to interview them in more depth. Officer Morquecho examined the hotel paperwork involved with the offense and realized that the suspect was probably an active drug addict who resided on his beat and had been handled for forgery in the past. The suspect was identified by the complainant through a photo line up which Officer Morquecho had put together and displayed. Officer Morquecho then obtained statements from the complainant and a witness. This allowed the fraud detective to issue a warrant for the suspect.

Finally, Officer Morquecho noted that an elderly couple had reported that their credit card had been stolen and was being used without their permission. Officer Morquecho interviewed the complainant and was able to determine that a female drug addict living on his beat had stolen the card from the couple, who were both wheelchair bound, and had been using the card. During the investigation, Officer Morquecho learned that the suspect was currently in jail on an unrelated Parole Violation warrant. Officer Morquecho also learned that there was no surveillance video of the offense and thus, no evidence.

Officer Morquecho met with the suspect at the jail and interviewed her. The suspect admitted to committing the offense. Officer Morquecho checked the prisoner out, took her to the West CID offices, and obtained a recorded interview from her admitting to committing the offense.

Before becoming an NPO, Officer Morquecho worked for approximately a year in West CID. All of the actions detailed above are in close cooperation with and with the express approval of the detective assigned the particular case. As stated previously, Officer Morquecho realizes the work load that most detectives are under and feels that his actions not only assist the detective but expedite the criminal being removed from his beat. Officer Morquecho does not do this on every case he reads, nor does he have the time to do so. He goes above and beyond and does what he can.

I feel his actions show his dedication to his job as well as his true concern for taking care of the citizens on his beat. He should be named the West Division Officer of the Quarter.