Trooper Steven Varnell
Troop C - Tampa

Congratulations for being selected as the Florida Highway Patrol Trooper of the Month for September 2011, for your actions during a single month.

On September 20, 2011, Trooper Varnell responded as backup to assist Lieutenant Mattiza during a traffic stop, in which the female suspect fled the scene. The next day Varnell began an extensive process of contacting the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office. He prepared and submitted several warrants for the suspect's arrest, then carried the warrant requests to the local judge for approval, to the clerk of the court for entry into the system and to the Hillsborough County Sheriff Office warrant section for distribution. In addition, Varnell also contacted the suspect's probation officer who in turn, issued an immediate Violation of Probation warrant.

Varnell also used his resources with the Multi-Agency Gang Task Force and the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigations Division. With their assistance, a warrant to "ping" the suspect's cell phone was obtained. The suspect was located a short time later and apprehended without further incident.

After the arrest, Varnell submitted a warrant to search the suspect's cellular phone in an attempt to locate any additional evidence pertaining to this incident. He also took steps to ensure that the jail monitored the suspect's phone calls and visitor's log.

Due to Varnell's relentless pursuit of the suspect, combined with his investigative skills and developed resources, she was apprehended quickly and without incident.