The Laurel Police Department proudly announce our officers and civilian employees who were recognized at the Police Chiefs’ Association of Prince George’s County 2019 and 2020 Award Ceremony.
The officers and civilian employees who were recognized continuously go above and beyond the call of duty to serve the City of Laurel. Their hard work and dedication to the City of Laurel and all of the citizens of the City of Laurel is evident every day.
The following were the Laurel Police Department’s Nominees for the Police Chief’s Association of Prince George’s County Awards.
2019 Civilian of the Year: Mrs. Ruth Hyatt
Ms. Hyatt is an integral part of the Laurel Police Department. During 2019 she was a critical piece of continuity within the Laurel Police Department as the search for a new Police Chief was ongoing. Her dedication to the department and all of the hard work and extra time she puts into the department on a daily basis deserves to be recognized and applauded.
2020 Civilian of the Year: Police Communication Specialist Ashley Boone
PCS Boone showed strength and leadership throughout the pandemic of 2020 as she stepped into an acting leadership role and flawlessly performed supervisory duties. She guided the unit through adapting emergency schedules. She provided guidance and leadership to her fellow dispatchers and demonstrated true professionalism in the face of adversity.
2019 Investigator of the Year: Detective Ashley Swidarski
While being assigned new cases in 2019, Detective Swidarski also continued a nearly two-year human trafficking Investigation. Every case she was assigned during the year was given her full time and attending while simultaneously working on a quite in-depth human trafficking case. No victim was denied her full attention and she illustrated above and beyond what the Laurel Police Department expects of it’s investigators.
2020 Investigator of the Year: Detective Joseph Kropff
Detective Kropff demonstrated consistently in 2020 that it takes expertise in multiple disciplines to be an effective investigator in the ever-changing tech centric world we live in. Detective Kropff has excelled in learning to navigate complex modern fraud investigations and in-depth cell phone investigations, while using and refining the tried-and-true investigative techniques of old.
2019 Officer of the Year: PFC Jeffrey Barnosky
PFC Barnosky consistently performed throughout 2019 in all areas of policing. PFC Barnosky worked to develop drug enforcement strategies, targeting high crime areas within the City of Laurel. PFC Barnosky made numerous arrests stemming from his self-initiated activity removing significant quantities of multiple types of illegal substances and illegally possessed load firearms from the streets of Laurel.
2020 Officer of the Year: PFC Lamar Gayle
Throughout 2020 PFC Gayle took a proactive approach to policing and to keeping the City of Laurel safe, notably removing a high number of impaired drivers from the streets to keep other safe. PFC Gayle is a team player and is consistently assisting his squad members with investigations and other duties of policing. He is always willing to volunteer to be an active member in partnering with our Community Engagement Team to be a part of the community that he serves.
Both of our Detectives were awarded the Overall Detective of the Year Award for all of Prince George’s County for both 2019 and 2020. Detective Ashley Swidarski was awarded the Overall Detective of the Year Award for 2019 and Detective Joseph Kropff was awarded the Overall Detective of the Year Award for 2020. It is an honor to have our Detectives recognized on a greater level amongst all of their peers in Prince George’s County.
We want to send out a very heartfelt Congratulations to all of the award recipients. Thank you for all that you do.
Media Inquiries: Please contact Laura Guenin, Public Relations, Laurel Police Department at 240-278-0758 or email [email protected].
