Police Officers Recognized for Building Trust with School Communities

Eight police officers made it their goal to build a stronger rapport with two school communities who didn’t trust the police.

Sergeant Ijeoma Enendu led an effort to go beyond the requirements of a police officer by building strong relationships with communities at Kemp Mill and Glen Haven Elementary Schools.

These are the police officers (@mcpnews) winning the Chief Bernard D. Crooke Jr. Community Service Award. #MCCCPSA pic.twitter.com/nJ0ys4WJ9A

— Deirdre Byrne (@DeirdreByrneMCM) March 15, 2019

According to the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, these officers helped “students to face issues like bullying and peer pressure. Officer coached sports events, including soccer and Girls on the Run.”

MCCC said that a lot of the time officers spent devoting their time to this community happened in their personal time. Accordingly, the results of their actions significantly helped improve relationships between parents, students, and the police.

Because of this dedication to fostering trust in their communities, eight officers involved in the efforts won the Chief Bernard D. Crooke Jr. Community Service Award at the 45th Annual Public Safety Awards Luncheon.

The officers who were recognized are as follows:

• Sergeant Ijeoma Enendu
• Officer Michelle Ballor
• Officer Casey Beck
• Officer Bradford Fox
• Officer Michael Joseph
• Officer Aaron McMullen
• Officer Ever Reyes
• Officer Angella Ferrufino

About Deirdre Byrne

Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM.

View all posts by Deirdre Byrne