BRADENTON BEACH – Devon Straight is the Bradenton Beach Police Department’s Officer of the Year.
“I’ve prepared for my law enforcement career for as long as I can remember and I’m more than honored to receive this award. I thank my department for the opportunity and my family for their support. I’m proud to serve with devotion the community I grew up in,” Straight said of the award.
Straight was 19 when he was hired by the Bradenton Beach Police Department in November 2018, making him the youngest officer ever hired by the department.
The award nomination letter written by Police Chief Sam Speciale details why Straight won the award.
“On 07/29/2019, Officer Devon Straight was on patrol. Officer Straight was given information referencing a known burglar seen in the city walking around and possibly prowling to do more vehicle burglaries. Officer Straight was patrolling one of the condos in the city and immediately recognized the known burglar walking in the parking garage which the known burglar did not live at or have any reason to be on the premises,” the nomination letter says.
“Upon the suspect seeing Officer Straight, the suspect quickly left the parking garage and walked across the street. Officer Straight acted as if he was leaving the area but kept an eye on the suspect through his rearview mirror. Officer Straight observed the suspect walk back into the parking garage. Officer Straight turned around and saw the suspect in the pool area. The owner of the condos told Officer Straight he spoke with a male earlier and felt the male was acting suspiciously. Apparently, when confronted by the owner, the suspect gave the owner false information,” Speciale’s letter says.
“The suspect was found in an employees’ only supply closet. The suspect was detained and after looking at surveillance video it showed the suspect walking into the parking garage, casing the parking area and walking between vehicles where the suspect had no reason to be.
“The suspect was arrested for burglary to a structure and several other charges. If it hadn’t been for Officer Straight paying attention to the information given to him about the suspect, and his initiative of patrolling the resorts, the city of Bradenton Beach would have possibly had several crimes committed by this suspect. Therefore, the Bradenton Beach Police Department is proud to announce Officer Devon Straight as the Officer of the Year,” Speciale’s letter says.
Family tradition
Straight has wanted to be a police officer for most of his life. He is the grandson of Bradenton Beach residents Ed and Gail Straight, the founders and curators of Wildlife Inc. Education and Rehabilitation Center, where Devon has long served as a volunteer.
Ed Straight served several terms as a Bradenton Beach City Commissioner. He spent nine years as a paramedic for Manatee County Emergency Medical Services, 13 years as EMS chief and seven years as the chief of the county’s Emergency Communications/911 center. He also served for more than two decades as a reserve deputy with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s always nice when you’re doing a job and your supervisors notice it. The best compliment of all is being able to use good judgment, and these days, not everybody is capable of doing that. People who use good judgment tend to eventually end up in leadership roles,” Ed Straight said.
“Devon’s work with us at Wildlife Inc. helped him stay on the right path. It’s really important when you’re doing rehabs and rescues that you pay close attention to detail. I think that carries over into Devon’s police work. We’re quite proud of him. He did well at school, he did well at the police academy and he knew all along that if he wanted to be in law enforcement, he had to keep a good, clean record,” Ed Straight said. “In these times we are in, we are of course concerned about law enforcement, but we know Devon will use good judgment in whatever situation he encounters.”
