The South Bend Police Department announces its 2018 recognition awards for sworn officers and civilians with the police department. Every day, officers and civilians work together to protect lives and property, reduce crime and enhance police-community relationships.
- 2018 Officer of the Year: Officer Elijah Arias
- Chief’s Award of Merit awarded to any sworn officer or civilian working with the police department. It recognizes work done to help increase department efficiency through cost savings or improve the overall operation of a department by going far beyond the required job duties. This year’s recipients is: Sergeant Kayla Miller
- The Dortha Paxton Award is awarded specifically to civilian employees of the South Bend Police Department. Recipients are recognized for their exceptional professional skill in the tradition and dedication of long-time civilian employee Dortha Paxton. This year’s recipient is: Ken Garcia
- The Pat DeRue Nemeth Award is awarded to any sworn officer, civilian or member of the South Bend Community. Recipients demonstrate the caring, kind, compassionate and humanitarian qualities that Pat DeRue Nemeth has provided to the police department. This year’s recipient is: Tori Dudeck
- Community Oriented Policing Special Partnership Award: PFC Keenan Lane
- Unit Meritorious Performance Award is awarded to sworn officers and civilian members of a unit who exhibited exceptional professional skill and conduct. This year’s recipients are SBPD officers assigned to FACT.
Gene Eyster
Brad Rohrscheib
Russell Lupica
John Comeau
Corey Calvert
- Community Problem Solving Award: Strategic Focus Unit
Andrew Hines
Nick Pogotis
Andrew Jackson
Brandon Schmidt
Stephen Berger
Anjelica Glaspie
Kyle Drury
Joe Mitchell
John Comeau
Neil Graber
David Young
James Maxey
Kyle Dombrowski
Dan Skibins
Commander's Coin:
Elijah Arias
Tyler Donlon
Ryan Rush
Maranda Baker
Joshua Lawson
- The Lifesaving Award is awarded to any sworn officer or civilian for a successful effort in saving a human life. Police are generally first to any scene and all officers and civilians are trained in the used of Automated External Defibrillators, CPR, and First Aid. Those who receive this award have shown exceptional courage and learned measures in order to save lives. This year’s recipients are:
Robert Anton
Ron Glon
Greg Howard
Kyle Lindzy
Mollie O'Blenis
Shawn Fredenburg
Ryan Hiipakka
Aaron Knepper
Martin Mullins
James Taylor
2018 Commendations:
ZACHARY ALFREY, ELIJAH ARIAS (4), CORI BAIR, MARANDA BAKER (2), BRITTAY BAYLES, JASON BIGGS, KYLE BILINSKI, JARVEAIR BOURN, AARON BRICK, COREY CALVERT, BEN CANARECCI, JAMES CAUFFMAN, MARK CHABOT, TIM CICHOWICZ, JOHN COMEAU (2), GAGE CONWAY, SAM CRUZ, JEFF CUMMINS (3), PAUL DALEY (3), ANTHONY DAWSON, DAN DEMLER, JAMES DENNIN, KYLE DOMBROWSKI, TYLER DONLON, KYLE DRURY, GREG EARLY (3), JAMIL ELWAER, RUDOLFO ESPARZA, EUGENE EYSTER (2), SHAWN FREDENBURG, NATHAN GATES, DEVON GILBERT, ANJELICA GLASPIE, RON GLON, MICHAEL GRANT, JOHN HALL, GARY HASBROOK , RYAN HIIPIKKA, ANDREW HINES, KRIS HINTON, GREG HOWARD (2), RON KASZAS (5), JASON KATOWICH, SEAN KILLIAN, DON KNABENSHUE, AARON KNEPPER, JOHN KRONEWITTER, CHRIS KRUEGER, TRAVIS KUKLA (2), DAN LAWECKI, JOSHUA LAWSON (3), DAVE LEDA, DAMON LIM, KYLE LINDZY, JUAN LORA, CORREY LUETH, JOSH MANN, BRANDON MARTIN, BRUNO MARTINSKY, RANDALL MCMURRAY (2), ERIC MENTZ, BRYAN MILLER, HUNTER MILLER (2), KAYLA MILLER, JOSEPH MITCHELL (3), JOSHUA MORGAN (2), BRANDON MYERS, DAN NAPOLITAN, MOLLIE O’BLENIS, ANTONIO PACHECO, BLAKE PATURALSKI, LUKE PICKARD (3), NICHOLAS POGOTIS, ERNESTO RAMIREZ (2), ANDREW REAM, BRAD ROHRSCHEIB, RYAN RUSH (3), KEN RYAN, SEAN RYAN, LARRY SANCHEZ, ERIC SCHLEGELMILCH, SIENNA SEARS (2), PILLIP SIMMS, JOE SLABACH, SANDY SMITH (2), STEVE SPADAFORA, REID SPITAELS (2), JACK STILP, DALTON STROUPE, MICHAEL STUK, JAMES SWEENEY, TIM TAYLOR, TRAVIS TEAGUE, JUSTIN TIDEY, TAYLOR TOBIAS, PHIL TRENT, DAVID TURK, MICHAEL TUTINO, MICHAEL VANVYNCKT, JEFF VEAL, CHELSEA WARD, MATTHEW WINTER AND NICK ZARATE (2)