Curt Suskevich, the Cape Coral police officer who was arrested last week in Key West on a drug-possession charge, generally has had a good record during his nine years of work in Cape Coral, according to his personnel file.
Suskevich and his wife, Christine, were arrested Aug. 19 on charges for possession of marijuana. Christine Suskevich, 34, was also charged with discharging a firearm under the influence of alcohol, according to a Key West police arrest report.
Christine Suskevich told police she was trying to get her husband's attention after an argument when she fired a gun from the kitchen toward a back bedroom, the report states. No one was hit by the gunshot.
Cape Coral police spokeswoman Connie Barron said the department will conduct an internal investigation of Suskevich after the process related to the Key West criminal charges is resolved. Until then, he has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Barron said it's too early to tell whether Suskevich's positive work record will have an impact on the investigation.
"That is up to the investigators," she said. "Since the internal investigation doesn't take place until after the criminal process is over, it's hard to say what factors they will take into consideration."
Suskevich's salary is $59,945, which includes a 1.18 percent merit raise based on his most recent evaluation on June 26.
On that evaluation, he was rated excellent on all criteria, including investigative skills, attitude, communication skills and knowledge. The highest rating is superior, and excellent is the second-highest.
Suskevich received commendations over the years for his help with several incidents in Cape Coral, including responding to a neighborhood disturbance. He received a letter of thanks from someone he cited for a boating violation while he was a member of the Cape Police Department's marine unit, according to the personnel file.
"I'm writing to commend Officer Suskevich on his professional demeanor when he stopped me," Carl Schultz of Fort Myers wrote to the Cape Coral Police Department in a letter dated Nov. 25, 2003. "He could easily have read me the riot act for 'senselessly endangering' my children. He could have levied a big fine. In fact, I expected both. Instead, he was courteous, helpful (discovering that one of my fire extinguishers was expired), and left a positive impression on my children and my guests."
In 2005, Suskevich received his lowest evaluation rating, good, which is third-highest on the scale. His supervisors said he needed to "increase his activity," meaning he hadn't issued enough citations on the marine unit. But they noted that other officers also had not done enough. He was also issued a "performance deficiency notice" that year for taking his assigned Cape Coral police boat outside of city limits.
Those appear to be the only blemishes on his performance record. On the 2008 evaluation, Suskevich was praised for the leadership role he was taking in training younger, less-experienced officers.
He also was cited for his role in the Police Department's quick arrest of Robert Dunn in the fatal shooting of Dunn's estranged wife, Christine Lozier Dunn, at Bobbie Noonan's Child Care in January.
"Officer Suskevich is a well rounded police officer and a valued member of our team," this year's evaluation states. "He is always eager to provide assistance both professionally and personally whenever he has been asked. He has worked hard to earn a positive image in the agency and has increased his responsibilities within the (field training officer) and firearms programs."
Suskevich also was cited for being part of a group of Cape Coral police officers who helped in Port St. Lucie after Hurricane Jeanne struck there in 2004.
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