Gloucester Township honored police and citizens who made “extraordinary contributions to the safety and well-being of the community.”
The event took place Wednesday, April 5 at the Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre at Camden County College.
“Be somebody’s hero today,” GTPD Chief Harry Earle said in his opening remarks. “Every member of the Gloucester Township Police Department is dedicated, caring, compassionate and is a hero.”
Det. Bernard Dougherty was presented with the award for Police Officer of The Year. Serving the department since 2004, Dougherty became a detective in 2011.
He received four outstanding police work letters, three police service citations, six distinguished unit citations and three merit awards.
Dougherty was nominated by Lt. James Schriver, who noted his relationships with the community. Dougherty was credited for helping turn around the life of a young woman suffering from addictions, who now helps others suffering from addictions.
Schriver was then honored with the Police Supervisor of the Year award. Schriver has been working with the department since 1997, and served as a detective sergeant from 2010 to 2016.
He has received seven distinguished unit citations, two merit awards and seven outstanding police work letters, many of which were from citizens who described him as “very professional.”
Officers under his command called him a “true leader,” commending his leadership in investigations.
Special Police Officer David Honey was honored with the Special Officer of the Year award. Honey has worked for the department since 2003, and was commended for his strong work ethic and being a “great example for other officers.”
Honey helps manage many events around the township, such as Gloucester Township Day and take your child to work day.
Telecommunicator Melissa Maxwell was honored with the Police Dispatcher of the Year award. She began her career with the department in 2013, and was nominated for her efforts to “make the communications center a better place for all of her fellow coworkers.”
Other awards given to officers included numerous merit awards and police service citations, as well as numerous citizen hero awards.
Brian Farrell was recognized for investigating the report of a 13-year-old boy who was in possession of sexually explicit photographs of a 21-year-old man on his cell phone. Farrell searched the man’s social media pages and discovered his location in Florida. Officers in Florida arrested the suspect for numerous accounts of child pornography due to Farrell’s investigation.
Numerous Distinguished Unit Citations were given to groups of officers who worked together to handle situations such as recovering illegal firearms, catching suspects involved in burglaries and shopliftings, and apprehending individuals illegally using marijuana.
The Gloucester Township Citizen Police Academy recognized more than 40 graduates who were awarded with tokens that displayed words such as “honesty, respect, fairness, compassion, integrity and courage.”
“I hope that you learned that all Gloucester officers follow the words that are on these coins,” Capt. Brendan Barton said.
Graduates volunteered on Thursday nights for 10 weeks to learn about the police department.
The awards also recognized eight students who made posters and two who wrote essays about the police department. Posters will be displayed at the police office.
“The police mean everything to me,” said Kyle Van Auken, one of the students who won for his poster. “They’re the defenders of the world. They’re heroes.”
Mayor David Mayer closed the ceremony by saying how “no one else is doing” what the township is doing in terms of community policing.
“Since 2010, crime is down in all indexes here in Gloucester Township,” Mayer said.
