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Rochester Police Department swears in a new officer, presents awards and reports staffing/training updates
Summary
The department swore in Officer Vanessa Sims, presented awards to Edward Silley, Tianna Adams and Detective Justin Livingstone, and reported roughly 1,960 calls for service, about 355 traffic stops, five open full‑time positions and three candidates in background review.
The Rochester Police Department swore in a new officer and recognized staff at the commission meeting before moving into regular business.
Chief of Police (unnamed) introduced and administered the oath to Officer Vanessa Sims and presented her badge and a pin presented by her husband. The chief also recognized civilian and sworn personnel: Edward Silley was named Civilian Support Person of the Year for his evidence‑management work; Tianna(a) Adams was named 2025 Police Officer of the Year; and Detective Justin Livingstone received the Chief Theodore Blair Jr. Memorial Award. Livingstone said he was "very humbled by this award" and thanked colleagues for the recognition.
After a brief recess for photographs, the department presented monthly operational and administrative reports. The operations report noted approximately 1,960 calls for service in the reporting period and no concerning trends, though fraud‑related calls increased; proactive traffic enforcement generated roughly 355 traffic stops. Support units reported Police Explorers training at a firearms range and ~120 teens at February teen night.
The admin report said budget lines were tracking as expected and highlighted training: two officers attended active‑shooter training with a local SWAT team, and multiple new hires are in field training. At the time of the meeting the department had five open full‑time positions and three candidates in background review for dispatch or other roles.
The chief announced community events including "Skate with a First Responder" on Sunday, March 8 (2–4 p.m.) at the Rochester Ice Arena and the annual "Guns and Hoses" hockey tournament immediately afterward. Commissioners and staff noted the events and expressed support.
Outcome: ceremonial items concluded with a short recess and the commission then moved to discuss old business; operational reports provided staffing and training detail for follow‑up as needed.
