Police honour citizens and fellow officers at awards ceremony
Civilians, officers recognized at annual dinner at K of C Hall
Posted By Ron Giofu/The Amherstburg Echo
Posted 10 months ago
The Amherstburg Police Service held their annual awards ceremony Oct. 20. Top row (from left): Chief Roger Hollingworth, Aux. Sgt. Terry Charlton (20 Year Auxiliary Service Award), Sr. Const. Wally Silver and Sr. Const. Matt Capel-Cure (VIP Award), Staff Sgt. Tim Berthiaume (20-Year Exemplary Service Medal), Police Services Board chair Frank Cleminson. Bottom row (from left): Clifford Campeau and Michael Colarossi (Citizenship Award), Scott Shuttleworth (Corporate Partnership Award) and David Beckett (Service Club Partnership Award).
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AMHERSTBURG — The Amherstburg Police Service and the Amherstburg Police Services Board honoured members of the public as well as members of the police service at their annual awards ceremony.
The awards were handed out Oct. 20 at the Knights of Columbus Hall. M&M Meat Shops earned the Corporate Partnership Award. Sr. Const. Joan Lovell said they need to reach out into the community and have the community reach out to them and noted M&M Meat Shops did that by helping out with various events and fundraisers. One such event is the Torch Run and M&M Meats has regularly donated food for the event.
Lovell added that franchisee Scott Shuttleworth is a member of the Community Based Policing Committee and can be regularly counted on to assist in one way or another particularly with fundraisers.
The Amherstburg Radio Club was awarded the Service Club Partnership Award. The Radio Club has traditionally helped act as eyes and ears on Devil’s Night and Halloween night to try and keep the community safe and trouble-free. They will be doing so again this year.
“Amherstburg never has a problem on those two nights like you hear other communities have on the news,” said Lovell.
Clifford Campeau and Michael Colarossi shared the Citizenship Award for their efforts which occurred May 11. While working at Honeywell that day, Staff Sgt. Pat Palumbo said they assisted co-worker Zlatko Bogevski who suffered an electrical accident. Campeau started CPR and yelled for help, a plea answered by Colarossi who called for emergency crews to attend. Palumbo said Bogevski “survived the ordeal thanks to the assistance of these two men.”
Sr. Const. Matt Capel-Cure and RCMP Sr. Const. Wally Silver were honoured for their ten years with the Values, Influences and Peers (VIP) program. Lovell said Capel-Cure puts time into the program above and beyond his assigned schedule and he often speaks of getting more out of the program than he puts in. Lovell said she was pleased that Silver was included in the awards ceremony as he regularly volunteers his time to assist the Amherstburg Police Service in delivering important messages to youth.
Auxiliary Sgt. Terry Charlton was honoured with the 20 Year Auxiliary Service Award. Palumbo said Charlton’s experience with the OPP auxiliary led him to be accepted to join the Amherstburg auxiliary when it was re-launched in 2001. Palumbo credits Charlton, who has become a personal friend, with helping to keep the auxiliary “vibrant and effective.” Palumbo said it takes a special person to be a police officer and just as special to be an auxiliary who do it for no more than self-satisfaction.
Staff Sgt. Tim Berthiaume was awarded his 20 Year Exemplary Service Medal. An Amherstburg native, Berthiaume joined the police service in 1989 and throughout his career has been involved in everything from high level criminal investigations to community volunteer efforts.
“Tim embodies the concept of community policing” said Palumbo.
Berthiaume became a sergeant in 2000 and was promoted to staff sergeant in 2003.
Berthiaume credits his family for the success he has had in his career. He said that police work is often not family-friendly as it requires working holidays, birthdays and other family functions.
“My family has been my biggest supporter for 20 years,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Police Services Board chair Frank Cleminson said it’s great to have partnership with the citizens and the police. He credited the officers for providing a quality service to the town. Chief Roger Hollingworth agreed that it was great to find time to honour people in the community and officers within the department.
