Addison Pacesetters Learn From Addison Police Lieutenant at Dunn Bros.
Addison Pacesetters (Addison, Texas residents 50+ years of age) meet the first Wednesday of each month at Dunn Bros. on Belt Line Road and learn about the Town of Addison. This month, Debra Poehling, an Addison Police Lieutenant, spoke to us.
Here are some interesting tidbits from Lt. Poehling's presentation:
- She has been with the APD for 20 years, arriving as a patrol officer and working her way up to Lieutenant
- Before coming to Addison, she was with DPS
- She worked in the criminal investigations division and was the first female motorcycle officer in Addison
- Lt. Poehling was still sometimes on the street as a Sargent in 2000, but now as Lieutenant does mostly administrative work
- Most of her career she worked nights and evenings - the new lights on Beltline Road are making a big, positive influence
- She is involved with Project Lifesaver, a program to protect and locate missing persons due to wandering, using GPS tracking devices
- Addison Police Officers have a problem-solving mindset and do things outside the box
- With our small number of residents, the police get to know us
- Nighttime is busy time for the police due to the 39 hotels, clubs, restaurants, and airport in Addison
- There is a "close patrol" for Addison residents when they go out of town
- For a small city, Addison has lots of extras in the Police Department: indoor shooting range, swat team, hostage negotiation team
- Lt. Poehling is on the hostage negotiation team and was sent to FBI training and the NYC Police Department training
- Citizens on Patrol will be starting in Addison - contact the APD Assistant Chief for information about this neighborhood watch program
- Officer Tilton is the handler for Koby, the police dog who gets his instructions in Dutch. Koby is used for narcotics and tracking cases
Lt. Poehling's presentation was humorous as well as informative. If she ever leaves the Addison Police Department, we might find her on stage at the Addison Improv.
Next month, the first Wednesday is May 2nd. Come out and join the Addison Pacesetters at Dunn Bros.
