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Halifax Regional Police presented its 2014 annual awards last evening at the department’s annual gala, with the following employees being recognized:
-Constable Kyle Muir was named Police Officer of the Year for his ability to strike a balance between enforcement of the law and community outreach. He truly cares and is firm but fair. Cst. Muir is a leader and has earned the trust and respect of his colleagues; he’s the one people turn to for advice. Given that his passion, dedication, perseverance are so admirable, he’s viewed as both a role model and leader.
-Detective Penny Hart, Detective Constable Jon Beer and RCMP Constable Trent Milton of the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division received the Investigators of the Year award for excellence in investigation.
-Claude Gravel of the Strategic Technology Integration Unit was named Civilian Employee of the Year for embodying distinguished service and consistently going above and beyond what is required of him.
-Sergeant Kevin Hovey of the East Quick Response Unit and Jamie Juteau of Integrated Emergency Services received sworn and civilian Supervisor of the Year awards respectively. They are fair and consistent leaders who treat all with dignity and respect, and understand and support work-life balance.
-Constable Will Penfound, a patrol officer, received the New Blue Award which is presented to an officer with five years or less policing experience who has shown a great deal of promise by demonstrating professionalism, high integrity and excellence in policing.
-Voted on by HRP employees, the sworn and civilian Employees’ Choice Awards went to Constable Bryan Naas and Lana Grant.
Cst. Naas recently retired with a whopping 44 years of policing experience, 35 of which were with HRP. During his tenure with HRP, he was a dedicated member and served on the union executive and also volunteered with the Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP). As a referral agent with EFAP for 20+ years, he provided unwavering support to his fellow employees.
Lana is a dedicated dispatcher, as well as an acclaimed singer/songwriter who regularly performs at fundraising events for deserving charities and community groups. Lana’s 2014 Christmas CD raised approximately $8,000 in support of mental health awareness, with all proceeds going directly to mental health programs in our community.
-The team of the Year Award went to the Strategic Technology Integration Unit (STIU). STIU members work tirelessly to implement, support and maintain all police-related technology. While much of their work is behind the scenes, HRP would not be able to function in its current form without them.
-An HRP Achievement Award was presented to Sergeant Mark Hobeck for his dedication to both the organization and our community. He’s committed to bettering the lives of youth; he has coached numerous youth sports teams and has been a dedicated volunteer with Sunshine Dreams for Kids since 2000.
The evening also represented an opportunity to applaud those employees who retired in 2014. Nine police officers and three civilian employees were recognized for their years of service. They departed Halifax Regional Police with 349 years of combined service.
We salute our 2014 award winners and retirees for their dedication to policing, public safety and our community.