Takoma Park police Detective Charles Hoetzel recently received his officer of the year award for 2008. Hoetzel led the department with more than 50 drug-related arrests, including one in which he seized more than 10 pounds of marijuana. The recently promoted detective works on the Takoma Park police force’s Tactical Enforcement Unit, a roving team placed in high-crime areas.
How did the seizing of 10 pounds of marijuana occur?
We were working in an area where we’d received a lot of complaints about drug activity. We spotted a suspicious vehicle with windows tinted beyond the legal allowance and pulled it over. We could smell marijuana in the car, and the driver consented to a search. But he then took off running. There was a two- or three-block foot chase, and I had to tackle him to the ground. The guy was big. I’m not big at all, but I got him into custody. … It turned out he was wanted in the District on drug charges and assaulting a police officer. We figured that out after taking his fingerprints. It also turned out that the driver’s license he gave us had a fake name.
How long have you been with the Takoma Park Police Department?
Since March 2007. I’ve been a police officer for five years. I was previously with the [District] police department.
Why did you make the switch?
I had friends who worked in the Takoma department, and it’s one of the few departments that’s on its way up. They’re developing new units and interact with the community well, and people said it was a good work environment; the command staff is pro-police.
How did you decide on police work as a profession?
While I was in college at American University, I did a ride-along with a District police officer. That night we chased down some people who had done a drive-by shooting. We got the gun from the car. I decided I wanted to be a police officer right after that.
