Taking Care of Business
By Mike Simmons An Angry Woman On June 30, 1937, Evelyn Sydlo and Anthony Valentino burst into the front door of the Pensacola Police Headquarters, 407 S. Jefferson Street, walked up to the desk, and began speaking excitedly to acting desk sergeant Herbert Hatcher. Evelyn was angry because she and Anthony had been fighting all…
End of Watch: The murder of Pensacola Police Officer John Gappa Yelverton – June 3, 1899
An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” coming soon on Amazon By Mike Simmons In 1897, John Yelverton became a Pensacola Police Officer. Not only did he love the work he did, but he found that he was good at it! Reuben Harris grew up in Savannah, Georgia. As an adult in 1899, he…
End of Watch: The death of Florida State Trooper Milan Hendrix – June 1, 1989
An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” coming soon on Amazon By Mike Simmons On June 1, 1989, Trooper Milan Hendrix was working in the Cantonment area, along Highway 29, north of Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida. It wasn’t long before a car passed Milan and headed south at a fast clip. He was…
New Book: The Crabtree Gang
Fifth book of Mike Simmons I have just published my fifth book, but this one is different. It is called “The Crabtree Gang,” and is a children’s adventure book starring my grandchildren. The story is an adaptation of an old tale I have heard my entire life. It is available on Amazon.
The Pensacola Police Honor Guard
Romans 13:7 says to give honor to whom honor is due. The Pensacola Police Department does that. For many years, members of the department have stepped up when the need arose to honor a fallen officer, present the colors, or give a 21-gun salute. In 2000, Sgt. Greg Moody approached his supervisors about forming a…
End of Watch: The death of Pensacola Police Officer Louis Champa
May 26, 1951 An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” by Mike Simmons, coming soon on Amazon. Louis was born on July 10, 1909, in Eveleth, Minnesota to Bartholomew and Meri Champa. In 1943 they moved to Pensacola and found a home at 168 Aragon Court. The same year, Louis began working on the…
End of Watch: The death of Escambia County, Florida Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Roosevelt Walker
May 22, 1998 Roosevelt Walker was born in Pensacola on September 17, 1958, to Roosevelt Sr. and Geneva Walker. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois, where Roosevelt spent a good part of his childhood. In 1975, he enlisted in the United States Army and served three years. Moving back to Chicago, he met…
Pensacola Police Department’s 4th Gold Medal of Valor Recipient – Officer Mike Wood
From the book, “Stories of Pensacola’s Finest,” available on Amazon By Mike Simmons Most people know him as the face of the Pensacola Police Department they see on television, discussing the latest hot topic. But many do not know that Mike Wood is the fourth recipient of the Police Department’s Gold Medal of Valor. Here…
Meter Maids of the Pensacola Police Department
From the book, “Pensacola’s Finest in Pictures,” by Mike Simmons (available on Amazon) On February 27, 1958, the Pensacola City Council approved a new program called “Women Parking Control Officers.” The idea was fairly new, maybe a year old. It was found that women could be hired, provided tailored uniforms and trained to monitor parking…
End of Watch: Death of Florida Department of Corrections K9 Freckles – May 10, 2017
By Mike Simmons From the book, “Some Gave All,” coming soon on Amazon When people think about a K9, the picture that comes to mind is a big, muscular, fire-breathing dog that looks like he would eat someone alive! K9s are used for many things. Because of their powerful sense of smell and their loyalty…
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Professionals at Work: Officers Robert Godwin and Buddy Peake posing for a photo in 1948. Both men are in dress uniform. The uniform consisted of collar brass depicted “PD” on the right collar and the officer’s badge number on the left collar. Both men wear the popular cross-draw holsters. Officer Godwin wears regulation police shoes and Office Peake wears authentic jodhpur riding pants. The jackets and pants were made of wool, which held up well and looked good, but were very hot.
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