Sergeant Dan Levy
Pinellas Park Police Department
Dan Levy began his career in Law Enforcement with the FBI in Washington D.C. From there he worked three years for the Tamp Police Department. From 1975 to 1986 he worked for the Pinellas County Sheriff as an I.D. Technician. In 1986 Dan then started working for the Pinellas Park Police Department as a Crime Scene Technician and a Reserve Police Officer. As a Reserve Police Officer he belonged to the Police Reserve Association of Florida and for a time held the office of State Director. He held his job as Crime Scene Technician until 1994 when he transferred to patrol as a full time officer.
Dan worked all patrol shifts as well as numerous special positions such as Crime Prevention, Research and Planning and as a DARE Instructor. In addition he was a Field Training Officer, Driving Instruction, SWAT Team Negotiator, and served a short term as the Acting Supervisor of the Records Section.
In 2000 he was promoted to Sergeant and returned to patrol as a supervisor. Shortly after this he was assigned to the Records Section again, until moving on to the Administrative Services Office as the supervisor where he was responsible for Youth Services, Research and Planning, Training, Crime Prevention and F. T. O. program.
During his eighteen years of service with the police department one position Dan continuously held was being an advisor to Explorer Post #912. The explorers were like Dan’s children, and he took great care to keep them on the right path to success. He donated hundreds of hours of his time to the post because that was that he cared about, with the goal being to help everyone succeed and have fun in the process.
Dan was a person who was liked by everyone he met, and he had such an easy demeanor that it was impossible to not like him. It is said that by the time you finished talking to him he could talk you out of our shirt, and only after you realized what happened, thank him and walk away happy. He was a friend to all, and he will never be forgotten.
Officer Rick Wagner (Pinellas Park PD), Dan, and Rich Jenkins (Dan's brother in law) on Dan's 50'th birthday cruise to the Bahamas This is how to remember Dan.... laughing and having fun!
Dan and Hulk Hogan went to the same high school. When they set up the DARE graduation, Dan and Hulk Hogan had some time to chat and they started to go through the year book. (1999)
Fund raisers for the Police Explorer's and this was one of his passions. The explorers were his pride and joy. He felt that all the work was worth it if the program had a positive effect on even one young person. Since he started working with the kids 18 years ago we have seen at least 10 explorers go on to Law Enforcement or to Military Police and many more that are good citizen's making a difference in their community.
The Dale Earnhardt race car was on display at the local Burger King about 2000. This is what gave Dan and Kathy (Pinnellas Park clerk) the idea to bring a NASCAR display to the annual Country in the Park. Dan was hamming it up with the driver with the citation book.