Chief Steve Anderson congratulated six individuals for being named the Metropolitan Police Department’s Employees of the Year for 2011.

Officer Blaine Whited from the Hermitage Precinct received Field Operations Bureau Police Officer of the Year honors. Officer Whited responded to a citizen complaint about a gunman standing in the 600 block of Charles E. Davis Boulevard. Officer Whited approached the suspect who quickly crouched behind a utility box and retrieved a pistol. Officer Whited was forced to fire in self-defense. The gunman was hit in the arm and captured after a brief chase.

Officer Adam Parker from the West Precinct received Field Operations Bureau Patrol Officer of the Year honors. Officer Parker spotted two men who had used a stolen box truck to smash their way into a convenience store. After a brief pursuit, both suspects were taken into custody.

Detective Steven Jolley from the North Precinct received Field Operations Bureau Investigator of the Year honors. Investigation by Detective Jolley led to the identification of Kenneth Offutt as the man who fatally shot Tevin Suggs. Jolley painstakingly tracked down leads including locating the getaway vehicle. During the execution of a search warrant on the car, Jolley found distinctive paint from a mailbox that was struck the night of the murder under the Impala.

Officer Johnny Hansel from the Aviation Unit received Field Operations Bureau Special Operations Officer of the Year honors. The keen eye of Police Helicopter Pilot Hansel spotted burglary suspects driving a stolen car on Gallatin Pike. Officers stopped the vehicle and took three men into custody. Stolen property including six guns, five GPS devices and two laptop computers was recovered.

Detective Scott Cothran from the Gang Unit received Investigative Services Bureau Investigator of the Year honors. Detective Cothran was the police department’s point man in a joint investigation with the ATF of the 98 Mafia Crips Gang. As a result of his work, eight persons were indicted by a federal grand jury on a variety of drug and firearm offenses.

Mr. Mark Fielden from the Safety and Inspections Division received Professional Support Employee of the Year honors. Retired Officer Fielden, a 30-year veteran, processed and maintained a multitude of forms associated with the Safety and Inspections division. His knowledge of policy and procedure is reflected in the case files where outstanding documentation is required.

“The tremendous work of these individuals is representative of the dedication displayed every day by the 1,800 men and women of the Nashville police department,” Chief Steve Anderson said. “I am very proud of the award winners and their commitment to Nashville’s families and visitors.”

Officer Adam Parker is congratulated by Chief Steve Anderson for being selected Field Operations Bureau Patrol Officer of the Year for 2011.

Detective Steven Jolley received Field Operations Bureau Investigator of the Year honors and Investigator of the Month for last October.

Police Helicopter Pilot Officer Johnny Hansel was named the Field Operations Bureau Special Operations Division Officer of the Year and Special Operations Officer of the Month for last October.

Mr. Mark Fielden received Professional Support Employee of the Year honors.

Gang Unit Detective Scott Cothran, the Investigative Se

Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security officials today announced preliminary figures indicating the state has recorded the fewest number of traffic fatalities in 48 years. In 2011, there were 947 traffic-related deaths on Tennessee roadways, representing the lowest figure since 1963 when 941 people were killed as a result of a crash.

NASHVILLE – William’s the winner for five years running, but Tennessee parents of new baby girls have put Emma back in the top slot on the list of most popular names for children born in 2011.

While the most popular names for both girls and boys born in Tennessee remain largely unchanged from the previous year, new names have made their way into the top 10 on both lists this year. The top 10 names Tennessee parents chose for their new babies born in 2011* are as follows:

*provisional data

William has been the top choice for boys’ names in Tennessee since 2007. Emma has reclaimed the top spot on the 2011 list, after ranking number two in 2010. Emily broke into Tennessee’s top 10 name list this year, moving up from the 11th spot on the list last year. The 2011 top ten list for boys includes three new entries: Mason, making a giant leap from number 14 in 2010 all the way to number 2 this year; and John and Joshua, which both just missed the top 10 list last year.

“As we celebrate the births of these children, we want to remind all Tennesseans that the best way to ensure a healthy baby is to start with healthy parents,” said Michael D. Warren, MD, MPH, director of Maternal and Child Health. “Preconception health is vital to positive pregnancy outcomes.”

Provisional birth data show the average age of Tennessee women giving birth in 2011 as 26.7 years. Nearly 60 percent of women who had babies in Tennessee in 2011 had previously had a child, and just over 41 percent were first-time mothers. Only 3.2 percent of the births were multiple deliveries such as twins or triplets. The vast majority of Tennessee births in 2011, 98.9 percent, took place in a hospital.

“All women of childbearing age should take a multivitamin that includes 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, even if they are not planning to become pregnant. Folic acid helps reduce the risk certain birth defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly, if taken in adequate amounts before becoming pregnant and during the very early weeks of pregnancy,” Warren said.

Although all enriched cereals and grain products in the United States are fortified with folic acid, only one third of American women of childbearing age consume the recommended daily amount. Taking a multivitamin with folic acid every day is a simple way for women to get the optimum dosage.

Stopping tobacco use is another important part of improving overall health for prospective parents. The Department of Health offers smoking cessation support at all Tennessee county health departments, and places a special emphasis on assisting pregnant women who smoke. For more information, contact your local health department. County health department locations and contact information can be found online at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm.

The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine also offers free counseling and support to all Tennessee residents who want to quit smoking or using other tobacco products. Learn more about this service by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visiting www.tnquitline.com.

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