2002 Members of the Year

David Sharpe

The Alabama Division held its annual board meeting in Montgomery, Alabama, on October 11, 2002.  At the meeting, President Scott presented David Sharpe to the board as the Alabama Division’s first Member of the Year.  This prestigious award will be presented annually to the PBA member who exhibits the qualifications given in the guidelines, i.e., must be of good character, provide outstanding service to the PBA as well as law enforcement and their communities, be involved in recruiting new members, be active in their communities politically (supporting PBA candidates and agenda), and be involved in charitable activities.  The members considered for this award should also be involved in promoting the PBA within their respective departments. 

As Mr. Sharpe’s nomination letter noted, Member Sharpe was extremely active politically in the Mobile area.  He campaigned diligently for PBA endorsed candidates, going door to door in certain neighborhoods to help first time PBA endorsed candidates get elected to the Mobile City Council.  He was meticulous about attending Mobile County Chapter screenings.  Mr. Sharpe also lobbied city council members on behalf of PBA members in the area.   He signed up more than 30 new PBA members during the year by attending roll calls at headquarters, going to the police academy and speaking with new law enforcement personnel, and by having one on one contact with fellow officers.  Mr. Sharpe is currently serving his third year as Mobile County Chapter secretary and promptly transcribes each meeting’s minutes and forwards them to the Division office in Montgomery in a timely fashion.

These activities are, of course, accomplished on Mr. Sharpe’s own time and they are a measure of his dedication to his profession, his fellow officers, and to upholding the commitments he has made to the PBA.  The Alabama Division is proud to recognize David Sharpe as this year’s member of the year.