Castillo and Police Taser Training Team Recognized with Employee Awards

At the Mayor and City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Administrative Support Specialist Tam Castillo and the Police Taser Training Team were recognized with Employee Recognition Awards for the first quarter of calendar year 2022.

Made up of peers from each department, Gaithersburg’s Employee Recognition Committee (ERC) reviews nominations for individuals and teams on a quarterly basis. These winners are then eligible for the annual Employee and Team of the Year Awards.

Tam Castillo, Administrative Support Specialist with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture, was named Employee of the First Quarter for her management of the Department’s Financial Assistance Program that provides a discount to eligible City residents. It was noted in her nomination that Tam’s management of the program has been outstanding. She took the initiative to revamp the Financial Assistance packet to create new fillable forms that can be managed online or printed. She also created all-inclusive English and Spanish versions. Tam also recommended website changes to help guide applicants through the process. The City and the program and its applicants have benefitted from Tam’s exceptional service.

The Police Taser Training Team was named the Team of the First Quarter for its work in developing a comprehensive plan to train all sworn officers in deployment, safety and de-escalation. Team members include Cpl. Larbi Dakkouni, Sgt. Marlon Ramirez, Cpl. Brandon Day, Cpl. Evan Milano, Officer I James Doyle, Officer I Stuart Jackson, Officer II Carissa Fortin, Officer II Ronald Kikonyogo, and Officer II Gabriella Discenza, as well as Defensive Tactics Instructors Cpl. Justin Compton, Officer III Noah Grubic, Officer III Mark McGinnis, and Officer II Andrew Brehm.

Taser training has provided Gaithersburg Police Officers with sound skills to safely use de-escalation and overall less-lethal tactics to resolve rapidly evolving situations involving combative persons, with the least possible harm. The training served to provide options to allow officers to resolve immediate situations without the need for force and thus in the safest manner possible for the officers and the community.

The Team used multiple avenues to present information through PowerPoint, lecture, and open discussion, and then put the concepts to test in practical exercises that determined the officers’ ability in critical thinking and decision making during complex scenarios. The training was provided almost every Thursday for nine weeks in the first quarter of 2022. It required hours of preparation to develop curriculum consistent with the Department’s values and that emphasized the least intrusive means to gain compliance and resolve potential conflicts in real-world scenarios.

For more information about the Employee Recognition Awards please contact the Office of the City Manager at 301-258-6310 or visit the City’s website at www.gaithersburgmd.gov.