| Glendale
Police Officer Matt Barnett retied OCT 31, 2014
By Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet
Glendale Police Officer Matt
Barnett retired from Glendale Police Department in Glendale Arizona
October 31, 2014. Matt was born in Erie Pennsylvania.
Matt Barnett tells us, "My dad
was in the Erie Pennsylvania police for 33 years. He retired in 1999 as a lieutenant. My
whole life I wanted to be a police officer."
Submitted photo - Matt Barnett at Yokota AB in Japan
with his dog "Ina "
Matt enlisted in the United
States Air Force and spent 8 years as a law enforcement
specialist /military working dog handler.
During his 20 year career at
the Glendale Police Department, Matt worked as a Patrol
officer and a DARE and GREAT instructor working with the
youth. Matt also spent many years at Glendale Police Department as a Public information officer
(PIO).
In all the varied jobs Matt had
has an officer the mot important to him was,
"Working with the kids as a Dare/Great instructor and School
Resource Officer.
Being a positive role model for the youth of the city was very
rewarding."
While
working as a PIO we asked Matt what was the funniest thing
he had witnessed Matt replied, "As a PIO I saw all kinds of funny , sad and interesting
things. One thing that comes to mind was an intoxicated man got hit by a train and actually bounced off the
cattle guard got up and walked away uninjured. His body was flexible due to his state he didn't get hurt
at all. "
Matt also worked School Resource
Officer, and really enjoyed working with young people.
Submitted photo - Officer Matt Barnett at
one year at Glendale Police Department.
For advice to a young person seeking
a law enforcement career Matt states,
"The best advice I would give a young officer is to remember the
golden rule.
Treat others as you want to be treated. Until it's time not to. "
Matt was awarded the Life saving
medal, and was chosen as AZ Dare officer of the year 2005.
COPS AND KIDS (Formerly known as Shop
With A Cop)
Brings a fun Christmas to many children Glendale!
Bette
Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 5606.
It’s
Holiday time again and time for Cops and Kids to Shop. 2012 - All
smiles, the shopping is done. Officer
Matt Barnett and Alex Orozco wait in line for their selections to be
gift wrapped.
Matt
tell us, "I
have been participating in shop with a cop for a lot of years. It is
always a great feeling to see the smile on the kids faced as we go
shopping with them. It is so rewarding knowing they will have a
great Christmas. It was a pleasure to be a part of that program."
Matt has been married 22 years
to his wife Dinah. they have a daughter daughter
Victoria who is 19 years old.
When Matt returns to Erie
Pennsylvania he tell us, "I will be enjoying the seasons and helping my mom and dad around
the house. Doing some hunting with dad at our hunting cabin and shoveling a bunch of snow I have also accepted
a position at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, Hamot Hospital Campus as a Senior Police Officer."
Lt Robert Jones Presents Matt
with a plaque.
MAT BARNETT
--- PIO!
(Just a few flash-backs
with the Glendale Daily Planet)
( L to R), Office
Matt Barnett, PIO from Glendale Police Department, and Ed
Sharpe, Director/Producer, with the Certificate Matt
received for his participation in the 2007
Rocky Mountain Emmy® Award
winning production of "The
Laura Graff Hit and Run Accident - Search For The Driver". - (Photo
Sgt. Jim Toomey, PIO Glendale Police Department)
What the
Video was about:
Description On the evening of September 23, 2006 at 7:00 pm,
Glendale firefighters responded to a car and motorcycle crash
involving Laura Graff, a 24-year-old Glendale woman.
She was riding her
motorcycle at 59th Avenue and Mercer Lane in Glendale Arizona.
They found Graff barely clinging to life from the severe injuries
caused by hit and run driver. The driver of the vehicle that hit
Laura fled the scene. This footage was the first reporting of the
event and a call for witnesses to help locate this driver. This
driver remains unidentified.
Unlike a
traditional television newscast, this production with it's call
for information narrated by Glendale Police PIO Matt Barnett,
still remains online shadowing the perpetrator... someday they
will be identified.
(Glendale Daily Planet - April 24,
2008) This afternoon Officer Matt Barnett PIO from Glendale
Police Department received his Emmy ® Production Certificate
bestowed upon him by The National Television Academy Rocky Mountain
Southwest Chapter.
Ed Sharpe of CouryGraph
Productions/ Glendale Daily Planet / KKAT-IPTV who was the
Director/Producer/Videographer of "The Laura Graff Hit and Run
Accident - Search For The Driver" presented it to Matt in the downtown
Glendale Arizona Police Headquarters. On hand for the
ceremonies also was Sgt Jim Toomey who is also a Glendale Police
Public information officer.
People, from the Chief of
Police down to the reporter in the field, enjoy working with Matt
and are proud of his efforts since joining the PIO Office at the
Glendale Police Department.
Reaching out to the public
for help and information is a vital component of many
investigations, as it was in the case of Laura Graff," said
Chief Steve Conrad. "Matt does an excellent job, and
I am very proud that he has been recognized for his efforts in this
case."
Sharpe commented " I like
to refer to Officer Barnett as "One Take Matt" due to his
direct succinct presentation of the facts we need for our news
stories... "
Sharpe continued "I
never remember a time we had to re-shoot a statement. It is a joy to
be able to run something like this straight though without having to
edit to take dead spots out and umm's and ah's... Matt is great to
work with!"
Call 623-930-3000 if you have any
information on this unsolved case! |
The Glendale
Daily Planet
Meets Matt Barnett
The Laura Graff Hit and Run
Accident was the first story we covered with Matt Barnett,
who had been a PIO for awhile, but we were jest starting to
cover police related news stories.
This News Blast
was an interesting 4 pane approach showing Matt giving the
call for information, right of his square was other
media also covering the event, below Matt was the contact
information (static window) and to the right of
that footage runs showing officers investigating the wreckage
of Laura Graff's Harley.
Photo - Glendale Daily Planet/KKAT-TV Glendale AZ
SEE
VIDEO HERE -
Call
623-930-3000 if you have any
information on this unsolved case!
Photo: Glendale
Police Department PIO -Officer Matt Barnett shown in a
screen from the call for information put out over Glendale
Daily Planet / KKAT-IPTV.
We are still
looking for the SUV responsible for the Hit and Run accident
involving Laura Graff and her motorcycle which took
place on the
evening of September 23, 2006 at 7:00 pm.
|
| Glendale
Police are still looking for the driver that hit Laura Graff
on Her Motorcycle Call 623 |
|
Photo - Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily
Planet/KKAT-TV Glendale AZ
The roof of Landmark Middle School at 57 Drive and Myrtle was the final ending scene in a chase of a car thief/purse snatcher!
Gannon Hubler
from KPHO 5 and Officer Matt Barnett, PIO.
|
Photo - Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet/KKAT-TV
Glendale AZ
Glendale Police PIOs
Officer Matt Barnett and Sgt. Jim Toomey
Drug
Ring Busted
$1 Million in Drugs, Weapons & Cash Seized
GLENDALE, Ariz. 09/14/07–
Detectives from the Glendale Police Department served nine
search warrants in the west valley yesterday (9/13).
They seized over 1500 pounds of marijuana, $150,000 in cash,
and numerous weapons and automobiles. Twenty-one
suspects were arrested.
|
Officer Jackie Cole was an
early PIO that also served with Officer Matt Barnet This
photo by Ed Sharpe was taken later.
Photo - Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily Planet/KKAT-TV
Glendale AZ
Channel 10 interviews
Matt Barnet about The Laura Graff Hit and Run. |
Missing
Weapons
from a stolen Maricopa County sheriff's detective's cruiser led to a
SWAT Team deployment in Glendale AZ
Matt Barnet Glendale AZ
Police PIO addresses members of the media.
Photo (c) ) Ed Sharpe Glendale Daily
Planet
WATCH
THE END OF EVENT VIDEO CLIP
Glendale Daily Planet -
Glendale AZ. Nov. 21, 2007 -- Glendale
police surrounded a West Valley
home Wednesday north of Thunderbird Ave near 64th Ave.
Officers arrested those who are suspects in an incident involving
a burglarized truck belonging to the Maricopa County Sheriff's
Office. Four people were arrested.
|
OCOTILLO
DISTRICT
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
Officer
Matt Barnett Glendale Police Department Public Information Officer
and Jim
Trammel City of Glendale Code Complacence on hand to talk with
residents of the Ocotillo District. |
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Ed
Sharpe / Glendale Daily Planet
Glendale
Fire PIO Chuck Montgomery and Glendale Police PIOs Sgt. Jim Toomey
and Officer Matt Barnett
PUBLIC
SAFETY ASSETS FOR
SUPER
BOWL XLII DISPLAYED
Friday,
January 25th, 2008 - 91st and Orangewood
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