CSI Stillwater
It’s not cheap to be in the business of law enforcement.
The daily required tools of police officers come with a hefty price tag. But thanks to a local citizen, some of that financial burden has been eased with the donation of a complete fingerprinting kit, a photography kit, a Hazmat suit and a police vest from local resident Walter Berger.
Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office Evidence Technician Tammie Mullikin said deputies did not have a complete fingerprint kit before and have never had a photo kit. Together the two would have run the sheriff’s office about $500. Hazmat suits are easily another $500.
Undersheriff Chip Kem said the donations will be well used.
“We appreciate this generous donation made by Mr. Berger,” said Undersheriff Chip Kem. “Having the proper equipment available during an incident or investigation is essential in our work. His donation will complement the equipment that we already use and allow us to work more efficiently on crime scenes.”
A 40-YEAR LE VETERAN
Walter Berger’s blood runs blue.
A law enforcement officer for more than 40 years on the East Coast, Berger said he knew he wanted to be a cop “since the day I was born.”
He spent the first half of his career in New York, working in narcotics for 12 years before moving to the U.S. Marshals Service as well as the Internal Revenue Service’s Intelligence Division, where he worked in organized crime. A degree in computer science/electronics from the New York Institute of Technology gave him an edge at the IRS.
“Back then there weren’t too many police officers with computer experience,” said Berger.
He also spent one year with the New York Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.
The last 20 years of his career were in Florida, where Berger became a forensic science expert and continued to broaden his skills. His career covered it all – homicides, prostitution, international drug runners, sexual assaults, domestic violation, robberies and even bicycle safety.
PERSONALl TIES TO SEPT. 11, 2001
Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a handful of anthrax cases emerged that killed five people and infected 17 others. The first of those deaths was a Florida man who died after inhaling the substance. That man lived in the area of Lantana, Fla., where Berger was a police officer. That area is also where hijacker Mohammed Atta, believed to have flown one of the planes into the World Trade Center, had rented planes at a flight school at Palm Beach County Park Airport. Additionally, some of the hijackers were believed to have lived in an apartment complex just 10 minutes from Lantana, Fla.
Aside from being a police officer in that district, Berger was also one of just four biohazard specialists who knew how to properly collect anthrax and he was appointed to the 911 Bio Hazard Task Force (anthrax threats and anthrax deaths).
And sadly, the former New Yorker suffered personal loss in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, losing three friends on that day. One was the daughter of a friend who worked as an account for the Secret Service. The woman’s fiance was a Port Authority Police Officer who was also killed that day. The couple’s wedding was two weeks away at the time. The third loss was the father of that woman, who died of a heart attack when told of her death, said Berger. That man had been a childhood friend of Berger’s.
The Department of Justice determined that the anthrax deaths and injuries were the work of U.S. Army scientist, Dr. Bruce Ivins. He committed suicide in 2008 as prosecutors were preparing to charge him. His attorney, however, maintained his client was innocent.
LINE OF DUTY INJURY
A line-of-duty injury in 2006 ended his life’s work when he was hit by a semi truck going 60 mph as he helped two stranded motorists. A broken neck and a broken back changed Berger’s life forever.
He moved to Montana in 2008, having never been to the state, as his daughter was teaching at MSU-Billings. He’s undergone eight surgeries since 2009 and continues to deal with the physical devastation the accident inflicted upon him.
While his body is no longer able to do police work, his mind and spirit is ready to jump back in the game.
“I miss it,” said Berger.