Hilliard police officers were recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty during the Hilliard Division of Police’s 2019 Awards Ceremony and Appreciation Dinner.
The appreciation banquet serves as an opportunity to reflect on the past year and recognize the efforts of employees.
Officer Hunter Schweickart, who joined the agency in 2014 as a patrol officer and now serves as a K9 handler, was named the agency’s sworn Employee of the Year. In nominating him, his co-workers referenced his work ethic, positive attitude, and compassion toward others.
“Officer Schweickart’s work ethic is second to none. He always wants to be involved as much as possible, whether that is dispatched runs or community events.” wrote one nominator. “His commitment to HPD is prevalent in everything that he does.”
Noy Gore, who joined HPD as a records clerk in 2017, was named the Civilian Employee of the Year. In nominating her, her co-workers called her a “team player” and referenced her upbeat positive attitude, helpfulness and professionalism.
“She exemplifies as a member of the support staff at our agency,” wrote one nominator.
Officer Randall Pugh, who also joined HPD in 2014, was named the recipient of the 2019 Community Service Award for his efforts to enlist the help, mone,y and manpower to get a bed for a young boy in need.
The Community Service Award was created to recognize individuals who go the extra mile to proactively reach out to the public and are focused on building better public understanding of the role of police officers in the community.
“These actions embody the true meaning of our core values — integrity, commitment, cooperation and professionalism,” said Chief of Police Robert Fisher. “As C.S. Lewis said, Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.”
Fisher said the agency has much to be proud of in the many ways it has made the community safer in the past year.
“Much of this was done through the work of our employees,” he said. “It’s an honor to serve with them all.”
The sponsors for the evening were Heartland Bank, Sugarplum Cakery, and Cap City Outfitters.
Other awards include:
Longevity Awards:
- 5 Years of Service: Detective Vanessa Spears, Officer Dustin Gigandet, Officer Hunter Schweickart, Officer Randall Pugh, Detective Kristen Winter, Support Services Supervisor Natalie Riley and Clerk Kristen Buelow-Lambdin.
- 15 Years of Service: Officer Kyle Bright and Lt. Doug Lightfoot
- 20 Years of Service: Detective Andrew Anderson and Office Manager Linda Haynes
- 25 Years of Service: Detective Deborah Mullin and Lt. Ronald Clark.
Departmental Awards:
- Commendation Citation: Officer Glenn Rogers, Officer Hunter Schweickart and Detective Deborah Mullin.
- Achievement Citation: Officer Sam DiSaia, Officer Josh Howard, Officer Dustin Kaiser, Detective Deborah Mullin, Officer Randall Pugh, Officer Michael Taggart, Officer Gregory Toczek, Detective Jared Zellers, Sgt. Justin Cramer, Detective Andrew Anderson, Officer Kyle Bright, Officer Matthew Hayes, Clerk Heather Bryant, Officer Brandon Long, Sgt. Suzanne Muraco, Detective Rob Seum, Officer Dustin Vance, Detective Austin Vogelsang, Detective Kristen Winter, Detective Chad Wood, Officer Johnathon Hitchings, Officer Jim Large, Officer Casey McManaway, Officer A.J. Murry, Officer Jeb Pencil, Officer Maggie Reed, Officer Hunter Schweickart, Officer Tyler Harris, Officer Ryan Turner and Sgt. Joshua Cohill.
