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Two of 'St. Petersburg's Finest' are honored
By PATRICK COOPER © St. Petersburg Times, published February 4, 2001 ST. PETERSBURG -- It is Rotary Club tradition to say "hi" to visitors and guests at their meetings. In St. Petersburg, for two police officers every year since 1953, the local club says "hi" -- and "congratulations." On Friday the club gave its 48th annual E.L. "Ned" March Awards to two officers, Detectives Jerry Babcock and Robert Schock. Named for the longtime Rotarian and police advocate, the Ned March Award recognizes outstanding careers in the department. Babcock was awarded for his 13-year leadership of the local Police Athletic League and his previous work in investigating juvenile crimes, including child abuse and pornography. Schock has spent the last 10 years as a homicide investigator and has worked as a volunteer in the COPS children's reading program. In introducing Schock, police Chief Goliath Davis III noted that the detective has never had a complaint against him. Former police Chief E. Wilson "Bud" Purdy presented the awards and spent a moment remembering March's dedication to what he considered "the finest police department in the United States." March founded the award for top officers in 1953 and personally funded it for 10 years, until he died in 1963. Both award winners have had long careers with the department. Babcock has served 30 years and Schock has served 25. After the ceremony, they said their hard work has been fulfilling. "It's pretty much a team effort," Schock said about his time in the homicide unit. "Even though it's me accepting the award, I couldn't have done it without my unit and my family." When taking over PAL in 1988, Babcock said his goal was "to make (PAL) a household word" because the program wasn't very well known. He said he was proud that the program now serves thousands of kids. In the law enforcement theme of the luncheon, a guest speaker called for law enforcement organizations and the public to work together in fighting crime. "We need the help of the citizenry to tell us about things that are going on," FBI Special Agent Neil V. Palenzuela said. "We need your help to stop crime in our neighborhoods." Handling mostly white collar crime cases, Palenzuela has worked in the FBI's Clearwater office for about 12 years. He said the cooperative work of local agencies, such as the St. Petersburg Police Department, has been crucial in solving difficult cases. The recent capture of the escaped Texas prisoners in Colorado was an strong example of this cooperation, he said. "That's what happens when law enforcement works together."
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