By Amanda Amsel
Staff Writer
Officer Joshua Edwards (left) receives the Franklin Township Officer of the Year Award by Chief Byron Smith. At a recent trustees meeting, the police chief recognized Edwards for going above and beyond for the township. Edwards was nominated by his colleagues for the award.
Franklin Township is honoring businesses and employees who have gone above and beyond for the township.
“We will be recognizing a business, as well as several police officers who are dedicated to this community,” said Franklin Township Police Chief Byron Smith.
The awards the police department will be presenting in the coming weeks include Officer of the Year, the Chief’s Award and the Business Appreciation Award.
“The Officer of the Year and the Chief’s Award have been awards we have been doing for years,” Smith said. “Some years we didn’t do them, depending on who the chief was, but now we want to keep doing them on an annual basis.”
According to Smith, the Business Appreciation Award is a new award.
“I wanted to recognize a business in our community that has overwhelmingly supported this township,” he said. “Any time we can thank a business leader for their support I think we should.”
For the Officer of the Year Award, the officers in the township vote and the person with the majority of votes wins. This year the recipient will be Joshua Edwards. Edwards has been with the township for two years and is a patrolman.
“He has helped train new people and has gone out of his way to be instrumental to this department,” Smith said.
The Chief’s Award will honor Victor Staley.
“For the Chief’s Award I’m looking for someone who goes above and beyond,” Smith said. “Victor is the most improved and is more than willing to accommodate our scheduling issues.”
The Business Appreciation Award will go to Brown Tires.
“Brown Tires has been very supportive of the police department and fire department,” Smith said. “They post signs in their business supporting the levies we have asked for, as well as do great work on the police cruisers.”
The Officer of the Year and Chief’s Award recipients will have their names added to a plague that hangs in the township’s administration building.
“Any time we can recognize someone for going above and beyond we should,” Smith said. “Also, our hope is this will inspire other employees to go the extra distance and encourage businesses to become involved in our community.”
