Police Officer "D" Receives Lido Shores Community Service Award

As award ceremonies go, not bad, if we do say so ourselves.  On a hot spring afternoon at St. Armand's Circle Park, more than 100-people turned out to honor a beloved Sarasota Police Officer.  Officer First Class Donzia Franklin, better known as Officer "D",  received our Lido Shores' 2011 Community Service Award.  She was flanked by a group of fellow officers, including Police Chief Mikel Hollaway, as well as Key Chamber of Commerce President David Miller, and Sarasota Commission Members Richard Clapp and Terry Turner.  Officer Franklin was all smiles as she graciously accepted a crystal plaque for her 20 years of dedicated and caring service to Lido Shores and the Sarasota community.

Officer "D" accepts the Lido Shores 2011 Community Service Award

Officer Franklin was sworn in as a police officer in August, 1991.  She has patrolled Zone 10, which covers Lido, St. Armand's and Bird Keys, "between the bridges", for the past 17-years.  She works the night shift, and often patrols on bicycle or by foot.  She has made it part of her mission to get to know the  people she protects, and many showed up Tuesday to express their appreciation.  SNN News 6 and The Observer know a good story when they see it, too.

Happy "D"

Our Community Service Award joins a host of others Franklin has received during her tenure.  She was the Sarasota Police Department's Officer of the Year in 2001, has eight-commendations, two-Meritorious Service Medals and two-Life-Saving medals to her credit.  If that's not enough, in her spare time Franklin house and pet sits and works with the department as a recruiter. Officer D's smile is infectious, her style unique. "I appreciate that my supervisors allow me the latitude to apply common sense to my police work, and to continue patrolling here on my island," she explains with a grin.  Franklin has been known to drive neighbors home who've overindulged on the drink and deliver warnings and lectures instead of fines and tickets.  Speaking at the ceremony, Captain Lucius Bonner praised Franklin, saying, "She is a role model and embodies Community policing.  She listens to the concerns of the residents and reacts accordingly.  The citizens regard Officer Franklin as one of their own."  Yes, emphatically we do.

L-R: Tom Aposporos, Ramona Glanz, David Miller and Andrew Vac

Special thanks to Bob Thill for being the master of ceremonies, Janet Minker for helping design the Lido Shores Community Service Award and to Andrew Vac and Ramona Glanz for getting it made and to the ceremony on time. At the reception at Cafe L'Europe following the presentation, Officer D sipped on a tumbler of tonic and continued to receive accolades from well wishers she's befriended over the years.  She then turned to a small cadre of Lido Shorians still basking in her glow, and whispered: "I'll get you for this.  Mark my words, paybacks are hell."  We can't wait. [Ed Note: to see more photos click HERE.]

Susie Thill, Donzia Franklin, Bob Thill

Janet Minker, Elliott Himelfarb, Holly Devonshire and Bev Sullivan