St. Pete Names Officer of the Year

Sign up for the St. Pete Patch newsletter!

Chief Anthony Holloway might be St. Petersburg’s top cop, but LeSandro Santiago is the city’s Officer of the Year.

The 12-year patrol veteran was honored with that distinction during a Thursday ceremony sponsored by the Exchange Club of St. Petersburg and the Charles A. Patterson and Odette W. Patterson Charitable Trust.

Santiago was selected for the honor following a number of high-profile cases and acts of charity in the community. The District I patrol officer, for example, was responsible for helping St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with an ongoing problem related to drug dealers using its parking lot. He also helped close the case on a string of burglaries in Coquina Key and is credited with helping land an arrest in the 2009 drive-by shooting death of Paris Whitehead, 8.

Last December, Santiago also assisted the McDermott family whose home burned down shortly after their father was murdered, the department noted in a nomination letter for Santiago’s recognition. He was responsible for launching the assistance fund that ultimately raised more than $40,000 to help the family.

“Throughout his career, Officer Santiago has built strong relationships with the communities he serves and has been able to improve the lives of St. Petersburg residents,” the nomination letter stated. “He exemplifies the department’s Park Walk and Talk philosophy of community policing.”

Photo of Officer Santiago receiving recognition from the Coquina Key Neighborhood Association courtesy of the police department