Detective David Anderson is retiring after working 26 years for the Lakeland Police
Department. Before working at LPD, David worked for the Florida Highway Patrol for 7.5 years as a Trooper with his first duty station being Troop “C” Lakeland. He was the third generation of law enforcement in his family. Both David's grandfather and uncle were police officers in Montgomery, Alabama, and his father retired as a captain in 1984 after working 33 years for the Florida Highway Patrol.
Those that have worked with David know that he is the "go to" person when officers happen to encounter any kind of wild animal on the job, whether it be raccoon, snake, or alligator. This is because David grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, on property that backed up to 2,000 acres of woods. David spent all the free time he had hunting, fishing, and exploring this vast wilderness. David told me, "I always had something in the back yard in a cage - some kind of wild critter - I even had a Great Horned Owl named CESAR for awhile."
David first started working for the Lakeland Police Department in 1984 when the police station was located on Lake Wire Drive. During his career, David has had several different assignments. He started out in patrol, and in 1986 became a member of S.T.A.T. The STAT unit evolved into what is known today as S.W.A.T. David said, "It was a lot different back then. We didn't have the equipment we do now, but we got the job done." David spent 18 years of his career on the SWAT team, and throughout his career has remained physically fit. Because David is 10 to 15 years older than the majority of his teammates, he was given the nickname “PAPPY”. While on SWAT, David was a member of the Sniper Team. While on Street Crimes, David worked as a K9 officer and handled a drug dog named Lucas.
Since 1988, David has also spent much of his career working as an investigator in the Criminal Investigation Section. He remembered, "When I first started working in CIS, I had to share a desk and a telephone with another detective, Marc Patterson.” David will end his career at LPD working in CIS in the Violent Crimes Unit where he has now worked his way up to his own desk, telephone, and office. When asked if he had worked a case that stood out from the rest, David said he doesn't keep track of the cases he's solved. He said, "It's the ones you don't solve that you remember."
There are a few trophies around LPD with David's name on them, the latest one in April of this year when he was one of a four-man team that won the Rough Riders Competition for Sporting Clays. David has also competed several times in the SWAT Round Up, and other law enforcement competitions.
After such a long and successful career, I asked David what his favorite job assignment was. He said it is difficult to pick a favorite because he likes all areas of police work, "but if I have to pick, it would be working on the Sniper Team. It is a specialty area where you continue to improve and learn how to work well under stress."
After retiring, David will be spending more time with his wife of 33 years, Tonya, and his two children, Taleah and Tyler. In fact, David's son, Tyler, is the 4th generation of Anderson men to be in law enforcement. Tyler was hired in 2008 and participated with his father on the four man team in the Rough Rider's Tournament.
Those of us who have worked with David will miss him. He is the quiet man behind the scenes that works hard to get the job done. He takes on any task assigned him without complaint, has a great sense of humor, and a quick wit. He is dependable and always just where he needs to be in any situation. We all wish him the best, and know that whatever he decides to do next will be a great success. Although he is looking forward to some rest and relaxation, David said, "It's kind of tough packing up the things in my office."
A retirement reception will be held for Detective David Anderson on Thursday, September 30, 2010, at 3:00 pm in the Lakeland Police Department Don Jones Community Room, 219 N Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33801. Friends and relatives are invited to attend.
Media inquiries should be directed to Sergeant Terri Smith, 863.834.6917. This information is also available on www.insidelpd.com.
