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Officer Ducker, 2006 Officer of the Year

Sergeant Steve Hatfield commended Detective Ducker to their lieutenant for his exceptional year in the Criminal Investigations Bureau. Hatfield wrote that Ducker’s accomplishments were all the more extraordinary because it was Ducker’s first year as a detective. He established himself as a hard worker who is relentless when it comes to investigating his cases and tracking down suspects. Detective Ducker can always be counted on to eagerly help other detectives and he accepts every assignment given to him without question or complaint. He is willing to respond at all hours of the day and night, even when he is not the on-call detective. Ducker regularly closes his assigned cases with arrests or warrant requests, and has developed a knack for gaining confessions from suspects. Officer Ducker promotes teamwork within the unit and routinely works with little or no supervision. His cheerful attitude and willingness to help his teammates are no doubt among the reasons he was voted officer of the year by his peers.

Officer Ducker was reassigned from Uniformed Patrol to the Criminal Investigations Bureau in March and very quickly produced quality work. In April, Detective Ducker received a commendation for his work on a seemingly routine case of attempted forgery. During the investigation he discovered the checks had actually been stolen out of a mailbox, and they were being used at numerous places in the metro area. He pieced together bits of information from several cases and was able to identify an address for one of the possible suspects. He checked the address and not only located the suspect vehicle, but also the stolen checks and felony narcotics. The suspect had fled the state, but his father was arrested for false reporting in connection with the case. Detective Ducker continued to follow up, and through solid investigative work, was able to identify a female suspect who had also fled the state. As a result of his work, numerous cases in the metro area were cleared and arrest warrants were issued for both suspects.

In June, Detective Ducker was transferred back to Uniformed Patrol due to manpower shortages. This was the first of many such changes throughout the department this year, and Detective Ducker set the example for everyone. He maintained a positive, can-do attitude. Prior to leaving CIB, he worked diligently to clear his cases so that they would not be left for other detectives to complete. As a result, he cleared an incredible 23 cases in one month.

During the late summer and fall, Officer Ducker was again moved, this time to assist the Professional Standards Bureau with background investigations for police candidates and civilian employees of other city departments. Lieutenant Clark reports that Officer Ducker was quick to pick up these duties and completed many backgrounds that were very thorough and balanced.

In September and October, Officer Ducker again demonstrated his adaptability and willingness to do what it takes when he changed his schedule on short notice to complete training for a 1st Responder refresher, and then he spent two weeks out of town at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center (NLETC) for advanced training. In mid-October, he was finally reassigned back to CIB. Throughout all these assignments, Detective Ducker worked hard to meet every demand of each supervising officer.

Immediately upon Detective Ducker’s return to CIB, he picked up where he left off, as far as quality work. In October he earned the commendation for his work in a child sexual assault case, which he uncovered while assisting other detectives on a search warrant service. Detective Ducker discovered information that the suspect had been sexually assaulting his younger sister for years. Ducker gained a confession and made an arrest.

In November, while in his unmarked car, Detective Ducker observed a dangerous and reckless driver. Rather than simply call the vehicle in, Detective Ducker requested a marked cruiser and he followed the vehicle until it pulled into a driveway. He detained the driver until a marked car arrived, and then cited the driver himself for the traffic violation. Also in November, Detective Ducker was recognized for the work he did on a complicated fraudulent check case involving multiple accounts. His investigation led to two arrests and a warrant request.

Finally in December, Detective Ducker received a commendation for his follow up on a vehicle pursuit in which the driver fled. He found a receipt in the car which led him to video surveillance that identified the suspect. After much further work, Ducker arrested the individual responsible.

Because of his outstanding year in the Criminal Investigations Bureau, Detective Ducker was awarded the CIB Meritorious Service Award for 2006.

Detective Ducker has served in many positions this year in the department, and in each, he has worked hard, displayed a positive cheerful attitude, assisted his fellow officers, and strived for excellence in his duties. For this, he is being recognized as the Bellevue Police Department’s Officer of the Year 2006.