Stamford Police Association Names 2021 Officer Of The Year

Stamford CT

24 April, 2022

12:00 PM

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STAMFORD, CT — Since 2018, and especially over the last year, Stamford police officer Tim Speer has played an integral role in keeping the public safe. Now, he's being recognized for his hard work and dedication to the city. The Stamford Police Association recently named Speer as the 2021 Police Officer of the Year. The award is voted on annually by a committee of former Officer of the Year winners. "In his short career at the Stamford Police Department, officer Speer's hard work, enthusiasm and performance under pressure was immediately recognized by his colleagues and supervisors," the SPA said in a news release. "As a patrol officer riding in Stamford's busy downtown district, officer Speer has prided himself on interacting and building relationships with the community, which has led to multiple arrests of violent felons and the removal of illegal firearms from the Stamford community." Speer, 26, a native of Milford, joined the Stamford Police Department in the summer of 2018. He attained the highest grade point average in his class at the state of Connecticut Police Academy. Prior to becoming an officer, Speer earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Western Connecticut State University. "It's surreal. I'm still kind of in shock about it," Speer said of the award. "It's an amazing feeling just getting recognized from so many people that are so qualified and so decorated already themselves. Having them appreciate what I do is just awesome." Sgt. Lawrence Brown of the SPD highlighted Speer's accomplishments in a letter of support to the SPA. "In addition to handling a multitude of calls in the town's busiest district, officer Speer makes the time to do more. He sees the value in building relationships with the people he serves, and values interaction with the community at the highest level," Brown said. Speer also volunteered to be an active member of the department's Community Outreach Team, which includes outreach to homeless people and homeless shelters in the city. One of Speer's more notable arrests in 2021 came on Sept. 16 when he arrested 20-year-old Ernest Rosario of Harlem, N.Y. Police said Rosario was involved in the 2020 homicide of Jeffrey Vanech, a Stamford resident. Speer was sitting in his car near the Stamford Train Station and noticed a man walking in front of him. "He just kind of looked at me funny. In the back of my head I said, 'He kind of looks like that guy.' I saw there was a warrant for him, and I stepped out," Speer said. Speer, who was by himself, followed the man, who was later identified as Rosario, and apprehended him after a brief struggle. An MTA officer happened to be at the train station and provided assistance. Rosario was charged with murder, carrying a firearm without a permit, possession of narcotics, possession with intent to sell, and operating a drug factory, police said. "It's easy to second guess yourself," Speer said on making split-second decisions. "In speaking with more senior officers, if you sit there and you don't make that split-second decision, you're going to miss it. You have a lot unfolding in a short amount of time, but you kind of just have to make that decision quickly." In May of 2021, Speer aided in the investigation of a homicide at Ursula Place on Stamford's East Side. Speer had prior interactions with the suspects a week before the homicide, and helped investigators identify them through body camera footage. Three people have been charged. Speer said he loves trying to make a difference in the community, and he enjoys the camaraderie between officers at the SPD. When he decided he wanted to be a police officer, he said he applied to any department he could. "Looking back, I couldn't have been luckier," he said. "I wouldn't switch and go anywhere else." Speer will be honored by the SPA at a dinner event in June. The date has yet to be finalized.