The winners of Officer of the Year posed with digntaries after the event

California, MD — The St. Mary’s County community showed its admiration and respect for law enforcement officers May 12 at the 15th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at Southern Maryland Higher Education Center.

The event started with the presentation of colors by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Patuxent River Naval Air Station and Knights of Columbus. National Anthem was performed by Adrianna Wieser and invocation by handled by St. Mary’s Country Sheriff’s Office Chaplain Pastor Steve Kooy.

Master of Ceremonies for the event was Commissioners of St. Mary’s County President Randy Guy. He introduced guest speaker Sheriff Tim Cameron, who sent out kudos to former state trooper Charlie Mills, who was in the audience. Cameron said Mills influenced him in becoming a policeman when he stopped him as a youngster for speeding and handled the situation with respect and professionalism.

The sheriff observed that some of his brothers and sisters in law enforcement are being subjected to abuse by the citizenry. He said such is not the case in St. Mary’s County. “They say they care. They support us,” he said of what he hears from county residents.

The highlight of the event every year is the handing out of Officer of the Year awards from each of the police agencies in St. Mary’s County. This year’s awardees are:

• St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office – Deputy Timothy Wesner (served since 2009)
• St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division – Correctional Officer First Class Sebije Boyd (served since 2001)
• Maryland State Fire Marshall – Deputy Fire Marshal Dexter Hodges (served since 2010)
• St. Mary’s College of Maryland Public Safety – Sgt. Christopher Coons (served for eight years)
• Patuxent River Police Department, Public Safety – Patrolman First Class Robert Hogan (one year on the job)(
• Maryland State Police Barrack T – Trooper First Class Steven DiToto (seven-year veteran)
• Maryland State Police Aviation Command – Sgt. David Svites (served for 19 years)
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Area 4 – Officer First Class Sarah M. Grice (served since 2012)

During the ceremony proclamations were presented from Gov. Hogan by his daughter Jaymi Sterling, Rachael Jones on behalf of Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Sue Kullen on behalf of Sen. Ben Cardin, Del. Deb Rey from the Maryland General Assembly and Director of the Department of Aging and Human Services Lori Jennings Harris.

During a memorial service for deceased law enforcement officers, Pastor Kooy quoted Romans 5: 6-8 as showing that sometimes police officers put their lives on the line for people who may hate them: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Each of the commissioners gave remarks. Earlier in the day at the commissioners’ meeting Commissioner John O’Connor had given a moving tribute to a friend who was killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks on America.

At the ceremony O’Connor read a moving tribute to police officers from the legendary radio broadcaster Paul Harvey:

“What are Cops made of?

“Don’t credit me with this mongrel prose; it has many parents; at least 420,000 of them: Police Officers.

“A police officer is a composite of what all men are, a mingling of saint and sinner, dust and deity.

“Culled statistics wave the fan over the stinkers, underscore instances of dishonestly and brutality because they are “news.” What that really means is that they are exceptional, unusual, not commonplace.

“Buried under the froth is the fact: Less than one-half of 1 percent of officers misfit that uniform.

“That’s a better average than you’d find among clergymen.

“What is an officer made of? He, of all men, is at once the most needed and the most unwanted.

“He’s a strangely nameless creature who is “sir” to his face and “pig” behind his back.

“He must be such a diplomat that he can settle differences between individuals so that each will think he won.

“But…..

“If the policeman is neat, he’s conceited; if he’s careless, he’s a bum.

“If he’s pleasant, he’s a flirt; if he’s not, he’s a grouch.

“He must make in an instant decisions which would require months for a lawyer.

“But…..

“If he hurries, he’s careless; if he’s deliberate, he’s lazy.

“He must be first to an accident and infallible with a diagnosis.

“He must be able to start breathing, stop bleeding, tie splints and, about all, be sure the victim goes home without a limp.

“Or expect to be sued.

“The police officer must know every gun, draw on the run, and hit where it doesn’t hurt.

“He must be able to whip two men twice his size and half his age without damaging his uniform and without being “brutal.”

“If you hit him, he’s a coward, if he hits you, he’s a bully.

“A police officer must know everything — and not tell.

“He must know where all the sin is — and not partake.

“The policeman must, from a single human hair, be able to describe the crime, the weapon and the criminal — and tell you where the criminal is hiding.

“But…..

“If he catches the criminal, he’s lucky; if he doesn’t, he’s a dunce.

“If he gets promoted, he has political pull; if he doesn’t, he’s a dullard.

“The policeman must chase bum leads to a dead end, stake out 10 nights to tag one witness who saw it happen — but refuses to remember.

“He runs files and writes reports until his eyes ache to build a case against some felon who’ll get dealed out by a shameless shamus or an “honorable” who isn’t.

“The police officer must be a minister, a social worker, a diplomat, a tough guy, and a gentleman.

“And of course he’ll have to be a genius…

“For he’ll have to do it on a policeman’s salary.”

During the ceremony Dick Heubschman, wearing kilts and toting a bagpipe, performed an emotional version of Amazing Grace.

After the ceremony a free lunch was provided by Brinsfield Funeral Home.

The annual event is sponsored by the commissioners, the Department of Aging and Human Services, the TRIAD/SALT group and Southern Maryland Higher Education Center.

Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com