Southern District names two Officers of the Month

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

The Southern District Police Community Relations Council recently recognized Officer Ryan Diener, a member of the department since 2003, and Det. Daniel Martin, a member since 2001, as its Officers of the Month.

Diener is assigned to the Cherry Hill Crime Reduction Team, which is responsible for enforcement in the Cherry Hill community. Cherry Hill was one of the Southern District’s most violent areas in 2006.

During the past 30 days, Diener was responsible for serving four felony warrants and 11 misdemeanor warrants. He made six felony drug arrests, one misdemeanor drug arrest, caught five persons with handgun violations, made five traffic arrests and one other arrest.

On April 7, Diener arrested a suspect in the 3000 block of Seamon Avenue. The suspect was in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun. During the course of the investigation and debriefing of the suspect it was learned that he had committed an armed car-jacking in East Baltimore in which he shot two victims.

Those victims, who had survived their injuries, identified the suspect as the person who shot them and took their car. A few hours before that arrest, there had been a shooting in the Southern District at 3000 Ascension Street. The ballistic comparison confirms that the handgun the suspect was in possession of is the handgun used in the Ascension Street shooting.

In a separate incident, Diener and Sgt. McVicker observed four subjects in the 2300 block of Terra Firma Road, in what looked like a drug transaction. The four subjects immediately ran into an apartment in the block. Diener and McVicker followed the suspects into the apartment and recovered drugs and a .22 caliber revolver. All four subjects were arrested.

Det. Martin is assigned to the Southern District Drug Enforcement Unit, which is responsible for all drug-related investigations in the entire Southern District. Detective Martin was the primary investigator in the March 20 case involving a search and seizure warrant in the 2300 block of 2300 Annapolis Road. Recovered during the incident were a .38 caliber revolver, .22 caliber revolver, Moodi Egypt 7.62 assault rifle, Drummond 12 gauge shotgun, Columbia 12 gauge shotgun, and 99 capsules of heroin intended for street sale. Three suspects were as a result of the warrant.

In a street enforcement case on March 21 in the 1400 block of Ostend Street, Detective Martin and his squad interrupted a drug deal. Three suspects were arrested, one of whom was in possession of a .22 caliber revolver. Also recovered were 14 ziplock bags and seven vials of cocaine which had been concealed in a false bottom can.

On March 22, Det. Martin was instrumental in a search and seizure warrant in the 800 block of Glade Court. Recovered in the incident were a .22 caliber handgun, an RTS Starter Pistol, 91 bags of marijuana, 42 Ecstasy pills and $1,256.00. Four suspects were arrested as a result of this warrant.

On March 23, in the 2400 block of Harriet Avenue, Det. Martin conducted a search and seizure warrant and recovered an eighth of an ounce of cocaine. One suspect was arrested.

Det. Martin conducted a search and seizure warrant on April 3 in the 3700 block of 10th Street and recovered valuable information related to gang activity in the Brooklyn area.

Because of ongoing undercover work, Det. Martin is not pictured.

Diener and Martin received their awards at the most recent meeting of the Southern District Police Community Relations Council. The next meeting of the council is Thursday, May 17, at the Southern District Police Station, 10 Cherry Hill Road at 7 p.m. Info: Jack Baker jackbaker@sdpcrc.org, 443-831-0538, www.sdpcrc.org