Arnold Officer Awarded For Fight Against Domestic Violence

Anne Arundel County police detective Tom Middleton, an Arnold resident, was awarded the 2011 Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Award.

He was nominated for the statewide award by Michele Smith, chief of the District Court of the State’s Attorney’s Office. In her nominating letter, Smith wrote that the prosecutors and advocates of her office have found Middleton “to be nothing short of perfection” in his job working against domestic violence.

“There is no one incident for which I nominated him,” Smith said. “He is just a phenomenal police officer who always goes the extra mile to handle these cases. I suspect he has a sixth sense in his understanding for the victims and making sure everyone gets what they deserve.”

The truly rewarding part of the domestic violence officer job was getting victims out of unhealthy relationships, Middleton said.

“It was a very demanding job, a hard job and very time consuming,” Middleton said. “It was also frustrating at times when we dealt with some of the same victims over and over. At the same time, I received many letters of thanks and appreciation from many of the people we helped. That is gratifying.”

Middleton was a domestic violence officer for three years. He received specific training through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, from the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence and from the Maryland Police Training commission.

He was one of four domestic violence officers for the Anne Arundel County police force – one is assigned to each district. Today he is the traffic coordinator officer for the Western District.

“It was a tough decision to take this job because I was happy doing what I was,” Middleton said. “I miss working with the victims and seeing the good outcomes. But this was another challenge and I like to mix things up.”

Smith said this was her first time ever nominating someone for the award. She is a board member of the group, but removed herself from the process of selecting this year’s winners.

“During Det. Middleton’s tenure, there have numerous serious (domestic violence) cases in which his involvement has resulted in a strong case for prosecution, a conviction and a better life for the victim,” Smith said. “His exemplary police work produced quality evidence, his quiet and kind manor led to more cooperative victims and his focused determination carried through the court process.”

The Bowie-based Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence strives to eliminate domestic violence through education, training, and advocacy. The group works with local domestic violence programs, criminal justice and law enforcement personnel, legal advocates, health care and social service providers, clergy, educators, businesses, community groups and concerned individuals to promote a coordinated community response to end domestic violence, according to the organization’s website.