THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 22, 1996 TAG: 9602210179
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
With no pomp or circumstance, five Suffolk Police officers were promoted to new positions last week, completing a reshuffling of jobs that started in January.
At the first of the year, William A. Freeman was promoted from captain to major, replacing William Dunning, who retired. Filling Freeman's old post, however, eventually affected five other officers, who have a total of more than 66 years of experience in the department.
Those promotions were announced last week by Chief Gilbert F. Jackson as the officers assumed their new positions on Feb. 16.
Those who have risen in rank include:
Freeman, who is deputy chief or second in command under Jackson.
Freeman, 48, is the highest-ranking black in the 113-member department that is largely white. He has 25 years experience in law enforcement, including three in Nansemond County before the county and city of Suffolk merged in 1974.
Freeman graduated from the former Booker T. Washington High School in Suffolk, then joined the Air Force and served in Vietnam. After leaving the service in 1969, he worked at Obici Hospital as a dishwasher and at Newport News Shipbuilding before becoming a police officer.
Until his recent promotion, Freeman headed the uniform services division, overseeing four squads of patrol officers. He had also served as a lieutenant in the patrol division, the detective bureau and the special investigations unit.
He and his wife, Carolyn, have two sons and two daughters.
Larry E. Wilson, who has been promoted from lieutenant in charge of the special investigations bureau to captain of the uniform services division, replacing Freeman. As commanding officer of that division, he supervises 78 officers.
After graduating from high school, Wilson, 34, worked for a construction company and in retail clothing sales before becoming a police officer 15 years ago. He worked as a patrolman and a K-9 officer before he was transferred to the special investigations unit in 1988. He was promoted to sergeant that year and to lieutenant in July 1993.
He and his wife, Karen, have a five-year-old daughter, Gabriel.
Wylie M. Bunker, who has been promoted from a sergeant of a patrol squad to lieutenant. He is the officer in charge of the detective bureau, supervising 13 officers. He replaces Lt. K. Snuffer, who retired late last year.
Bunker, 48, has been with the department 19 years in a variety of positions.
He worked in two sting operations that lasted several years, then worked in the uniform services division, the detective bureau and the communication division.
He attended college for two and a half years and previously worked as a television reporter, a member of the Portsmouth Police Auxiliary and for the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
He is married to Vickie.
Timothy M. Davenport (not pictured), who was promoted from sergeant of the special investigations bureau to the lieutenant in charge of the unit, replacing Wilson.
Before becoming a policeman, Davenport, 35, worked briefly for Lipton Tea. In April 1980, he joined the Suffolk Police Department and left for a six-month stint with the Franklin Police in 1988.
Davenport has worked in uniform division, the warrant bureau, crime line/recruiting, and has been an instructor at the Chesapeake Public Safety Academy. He transferred to special investigations unit in September 1993.
He is engaged to Deanna Simerly and has three children from a previous marriage - Timothy Jr., 12; Hunter, 9; and Kelli, 4.
Joseph J. Destefano, who was promoted from patrolman to a sergeant of one of the four patrol squads.
Destefano, 32, served in the Marines, then returned to school to complete a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He was an an auxiliary police officer before joining the department in 1990.
He and his wife, Cynthia, have two children: Cynthia, 12; and David, 11.
Michael W. McKenzie, who was promoted from patrolman to sergeant of another of the four patrol squads.
McKenzie, 35, received a bachelor's degree in political science before he was hired with the department in 1983. He recently has been assigned to the motorcycle detail in the uniform services division.
He and his wife, Wanda, have two daughters: Jennifer, 11; and Sara, 8. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
William A. Freeman
Larry E. Wilson
Wylie M. Bunker
Joseph J. Destefano
Michael W. McKenzie
KEYWORDS: SUFFOLK POLICE DEPARTMENT by CNB