Each year, the Manheim Township Police Department takes a moment to recognize employees for outstanding work in the Department and in the community. Under normal circumstances, the MTPD presents these Departmental Awards during a Manheim Township Commissioners meeting - usually the one that coincides with Police Week. This year was obviously not a normal one, so the decision was made to delay the presentation of 2019 awards until later in 2020.

An opportunity to publicly recognize the officers did not materialize until this week. During a gathering of the employees, Chief Thomas Rudzinski presented the awards to the recipients in the company of their co-workers. Congratulations to all for their efforts and for helping to keep the community safe. The award recipients are as follows:

Distinguished Service Award

• Detective Nicholas Fritz & Detective Sarah Goss – Beginning in 2016, Detectives Fritz and Goss worked tirelessly on a child sex abuse case which was particularly challenging and involved many interviews and search warrants. Ultimately, they were able to charge the suspect with several crimes, including Rape, Incest, and Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse. Their diligence and professionalism contributed to a guilty verdict in 2019.
• Officer Kyle Carner – Officer Carner obtained a felony arrest warrant against an individual for Possession with Intent to Deliver and a gun charge but was unable to immediately find the person. He followed up on numerous leads and ultimately got a solid tip as to his whereabouts. He then put together a detailed plan to watch the house and eventually saw the suspect and followed him to a location where an arrest could safely be made. Carner also knew that the person was supposed to be with a juvenile runaway, and through this arrest, was able to reunite the runaway with their family.

Meritorious Award

• Officer Nathan Daggett & Officer Shane Long – In December 2019, Officers Daggett and Long responded to an early morning fire inside an apartment building in Lancaster Township. The officers were the first to arrive and found smoke coming from the building, so they entered to evacuate residents. During the evacuation, they encountered heavy smoke and flames but continued to evacuate residents at great peril to themselves, likely saving lives.

Life Saving Award

• Officer Jonathan Reginella – In November 2019, Officer Reginella responded to a Manheim Township church for a cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, Reginella performed CPR until the person regained a pulse and began to breathe on their own. His actions were critical in saving the person’s life.

Officer of the Year

• Officer Ryan Snyder – Officer Snyder was selected by the Department’s supervisory staff as the officer who best represents the Department and it’s sworn personnel.

Civilian of the Year

• Civilian Aide Robert M. Wolpert Jr. – Civilian Aide Wolpert was selected by the Department’s supervisory staff as the civilian employee who is a good person and is the best representative of the Police Department and its civilian personnel.

Commissioners’ Firearms Proficiency Award

• Officer Joel Ayers – This award is presented to the officer with the highest score in pistol qualifications.

Chief’s Award

• Administrative Assistant Debbie Broskey & Accreditation Assistant Gina Hoover – Mrs Broskey and Mrs Hoover are assigned to the Office of the Chief of Police and are responsible for administrative tasks related to the management of the police department. Among other tasks, Mrs Broskey assists the Chief with the development of the budget and management of it throughout the year. Mrs Hoover is responsible for ensuring that the agency is in continued compliance with the state’s accreditation standards, and recently played a significant role in the Department’s reaccreditation.

End.

MEDIA POST CONTACT: Chief Thomas E. Rudzinski, W: 717-569-6401 Ext: 1462, C: 717-808-6808, rudzinskit@manheimtownshippolice.org