PUBLICATIONS Inside Illinois Vol. 21, No. 19, May 2, 2002

Frederick 'humbled' by police officer of the year honors

Photo by Bill Wiegand Top honors Aaron Frederick was named police officer of the year by the Division of Public Safety. Frederick has been with the division for 2 1/2 years.

Aaron Frederick was honored as University of Illinois police officer of the year during an April 24 reception hosted by the Division of Public Safety at the Levis Faculty Center in Urbana.

During his 2 1/2 years with the department, Frederick has demonstrated outstanding initiative, problem-solving and teamwork capabilities, Cpl. Joan Fiesta said in her nomination.

"It’s an honor. It’s humbling because you’re nominated by your peers," Frederick said about the award. "But it’s my personal feeling that any award is just a reflection of the department and the people that you work with. I couldn’t do the things I do if I didn't have good people to work with."

Also nominated for the award were officers Chris Burke and Barb Robbins.

The Lifesaving Award was presented to Officer Doug Beckman for helping administer CPR to a heart attack victim on Dec. 23. The victim, Edward "Dean" Selvy, had been celebrating his 51st wedding anniversary at a restaurant with his family when his heart stopped. Selvy and his wife, of Quincy, Ill., were present at the reception to see Beckman receive the award.

Officer Jody Huffman was honored with a Merit award for discovering a fire at an apartment building, evacuating the building and extinguishing the fire.

In addition, Huffman and four colleagues were recognized with Merit awards for their work in apprehending four armed robbers. Cpl. John Brown, Fiesta and officers Tom Geis and Tim Harper also were honored for their work in connection with that case.

Capts. Kris Fitzpatrick and Rick Kallmayer were honored for performing the duties of acting director of public safety in addition to their primary duties as commander of investigations and commander of police operations, respectively. Kallmayer received the Director of Public Safety Recognition award, and Fitzpatrick, a past recipient of the public safety award, was honored with a Commendation Award.

Director of Public Safety Recognition awards also were presented to Robbins, for her contributions to community policing in the Housing Division; and Maureen Banks, for her services as chairperson of the Public Safety Advisory Committee.

In a tongue-in-cheek presentation, Officer Dave Nelson was awarded a pair of "wing-tip jogging shoes," fashioned a la felt-tip marker. The stylish footwear will help ensure that Nelson is suitably attired for all occasions, including spur-of-the-moment jogs in the park and formal dinners. The facetious award was inspired by Nelson’s recent experience providing security for His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan when he visited campus in April.

Other awards presented at the ceremony:

Marksmanship: Kallmayer, first place; officers George Sandwick and Brian Tison, second (tie); Officer William Smoot Jr., third.

Cecil Coleman Award: Stan Apperson, in recognition of his work with the Summer Youth Risk Management Program.

Civilian Employee of the Year Award: Joyce Humes, computer utilization analyst, for her work in setting up a new computer network and providing training and support.

Student Patrol Officer Commendation: J. Perry Overbey, for developing a police radio training program for student patrol officers and for writing a CD-ROM program for maintaining their records.

Student Patrol Officer of the Year Award: Greg Manzana.