Meet the Pearson Patterson Police Officer of the Year

The Special Victims Unit of the St Petersburg Police Department sees the darkest side of humanity. Crimes that most would consider unspeakable, the stuff of horror movies, await each morning for SVU detectives to study and to solve.

But even solving a crime doesn’t necessarily lead to prosecution. Child crimes mostly happen without witnesses, and domestic violence survivors are often manipulated or terrified by their abusers. Justice for special victims requires meticulous and relentless investigation.

Detective Shawn Schwartz is a senior member of our St Pete SVU and his rate of prosecution is impressively high. In the last year he successfully prosecuted a serial rapist and tied him to an unsolved murder, freed a mentally handicapped man who had been held in a backyard shack and led an investigation of a machete attack.

Solving these crimes against humanity is noteworthy, but doing so while keeping his own humanity is why Detective Shawn Schwartz earned the 2024 Pearson Patterson Police Officer of the Year award.

Detective Schwartz’s family, colleagues and local dignitaries were on hand as the Northeast Exchange Club presented him with the award. Established in 1965 by then-club president George Person, 2024 marks 60 years for the award. Pearson’s grandson Albert Jasuwan and his wife Torrie now carry the torch to honor outstanding police work.

Former governor Martinez, left, chats with former mayor Ulrich. Photo by Robert Blackmon.

The Jasuwans emceed the event at the St Petersburg Yacht Club. Speakers included former Mayor Bob Ulrich, former governor Bob Martinez, Chief of Police Anthony Holloway and club President Kevin Yeager.

Also on hand were Bill Edwards, Robert Blackmon, Commissioner Charlie Justice and Representatives Berny Jacques and Linda Chaney. Barbara Doyle presented the award and $4,000 to Schwartz, as well as $1,000 runner-up checks to Darryl Goodrow and Omar Jundi.

Beyond working his own cases, Scwhartz also trains new detectives. Imbuing his diligence, empathy and passion for service is critical as young detectives take on some of the most taxing subject matter in police work. The 12-member team is divided evenly with half working on adult/elderly crimes and half assigned to crimes against children. During his acceptance speech, Schwartz asked his SVU team to stand, noting that “any one of these detectives could be standing here instead of me.”

Detective Schwartz helps his team walk the line between work and home life, as his father did by example. Schwartz recalls going to the station with his dad, who served 39 years, and then coming home to “piles of case files on the kitchen table.” The young Schwartz couldn’t understand why, when his father got done at work, he’d come home and continue to work. When he inquired, his father answered simply, “I don’t want to work, but I have to because there are victims of bad crimes.” Schwartz keeps his father’s badge at his desk.

Schwartz and his wife Lisa have three children, who he acknowledged have now “reluctantly and ironically accepted the reality I had once experienced.” He ended his acceptance speech by thanking his family saying “without your love and support, I would not be the man, father or police officer that stands before you today.”