On stage in the bright lights stands Kim Miller, Robbery Detective and mother of two Tompkins students, freshman Jeff Miller and senior Kaitlyn Miller. Through the past few years, Miller has received many awards for her success in her field. All the past awards led up to the most recent award received, Miller won the Inaugural Department of Justice Community Policing Award. The award was created by Attorney General, Loretta Lynch to recognize outstanding works of police within their communities.

“On April 2016, I received Investigator of the Month from the Houston Police Officer’s Union. In August 2016, I received the Award of Excellence from the Chief of Police and 35 officers and members of the Houston Forensic Science center received a Chief of Police Unit Citation for assisting me in the investigation.   October 2016, I won the Inaugural Department of Justice Community Policing Award from Attorney General Loretta Lynch,” said Miller.

The nomination of these awards were based on two serial rapist cases she worked throughout 2015 to 2016 and her history of conducting criminal investigations and working with media in order to catch violent criminals.

“Catching two completely unrelated serial rapist suspects working in the same part of the city was a very challenging year for me.  I received my first case on the first suspect in April 2015. Every other day I would come to work and there would be another victim,” said Miller.

The cases were extremely difficult for Miller.  Trying to catch serial rapists with little leads made the task more challenging than it already was. With the great help of her partner Jeff Miller, Off. Kim Fredericksen who helped with the research aspect,  the Westside Tactical Unit who helped track the suspects, Asst. D. A. Emmons and her supervisor Lt. Richard Anderson, she was able to effectively solve the case.

“The aspects I enjoy most with criminal investigations and detective work are being able to obtain information that leads me to identifying suspects and potentially arresting them and conducting interrogations which often result in confessions.  I believe in good and thorough investigations for the justice of my victims as well as the suspects who commit these crimes,” said Miller.

Miller finds a sense of pride in convicting  violent criminals and finding  justice for the victims. Though the stress of juggling many different cases at once can be daunting, Miller takes the task on herself to reassure the victims and find the suspects as efficiently as possible.