The following is biographical information of the four new lieutenants promoted during the Monday, July 9 Rockford City Council meeting (see related story, page 1). The promotions are the latest step in a long process of merging the departments of Public Works, Police and Fire for the City of Rockford. The structure is designed to save money and improve services in response to reduced funding for the City.
Lieutenant Jamie Davies began his career working with the City of Rockford in 1991 as a seasonal employee for the Department of Public Works. He worked his way up in the department and was promoted to director of Public Works in May 2011. He has also been a City of Rockford firefighter and medical first responder for over 12 years.
Davies lives in the Rockford area with his wife Dawn and their two German shepherd dogs, Bella and Cesar. Lt. Davies attended Rockford High School, graduated from Grand Rapids Community College with an associate degree in applied arts and sciences, law enforcement. He has received thousands of hours of in-service training on a wide variety of public works, public water safety, environmental control and fire safety-related topics.
Davies is a licensed builder and loves remodeling houses. He built his own home in 2000 and enjoys working on home projects in his free time. He loves the outdoors and travels throughout the United States to go mountain climbing, hiking and kayaking with his wife.
Lieutenant Mike Miller began his law enforcement career with the Ft. Morgan Police Department in Ft. Morgan, Colorado before coming to the Rockford Police Department in 1990. He was promoted to sergeant in 1999. Miller and his wife Kim have two children.
Miller graduated from Grand Rapids Community College with an associate degree in arts. During that time he attended and graduated from the police academy. Miller completed his studies at Grand Valley State University, earning a bachelors degree in criminal justice. He has attended hundreds of hours of other schools on a variety of law enforcement topics.
Miller oversees all criminal and traffic investigations for the City of Rockford, as well as the investigation of fatal and serious accidents. He is a defensive tactics instructor and field training coordinator. He enjoys outdoor activities including hunting, hiking, fishing and dog training.
Lieutenant Dave Robinson worked for the Greenville Public Safety Department for seven years before joining the Rockford Police Department in 2000. He has three children and lives in Rockford. He earned an associates degree from Grand Rapids Community College and is completing his studies at Ferris State University.
Robinson has served as Rockford’s community policing officer, firearms instructor and, in addition to his command responsibilities, is the D.A.R.E. instructor for Rockford Public Schools. He is also the past president of the Crime Prevention Association of Michigan. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and remodeling his home.
Lieutenant Dan Vincent has been a member of the Rockford Fire Department since 1978, having served in many capacities as a paid on-call firefighter, including deputy chief. He served in the United States Army from 1967 to 1972 and spent his career with the United States Postal Service, retiring in 2005 after 37 years. Vincent has been employed with the Rockford Department of Public Works since 2008. He oversees the staffing and assignments of the paid on-call firefighters.
Vincent lives in Rockford with his wife Pauline. They have three grown children. He is a board member of the Rockford Sportsman’s Club, and shoots skeet in national tournaments. He enjoys woodworking, fixing things, and spending time with his family.
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