Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler presented the Office of the Year and other special awards for distinguished performance in the line of duty at a ceremony May 16, 2014.
The Sheriff’s Office traditionally honors its sworn officers, investigators, and detectives who have excelled in making Mercer County viable and its courthouses safe.
This year’s Sheriff’s Officer of the Year is Officer Gregory Bezek. The Officer of the Year award is given to a well-rounded officer who has exceeded the duty requirements expected of their position and have demonstrated a distinct and positive pattern of service and professional achievement.
Bezek, a 13-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office is assigned to the Sheriff’s Process Unit, serving various court and legal documents throughout the county.
He is also a noteworthy representative of the Sheriff’s Office Programs Unit. There, Officer Bezek has presented hundreds of public programs throughout his career, related to crime prevention and awareness, community education, children’s and senior safety, such as child car seat inspections and National Prescription Drug Take-Back initiatives.
Sheriff Kemler also presented Line of Duty Awards to officers, inspectors, and detectives who displayed notable performance, heroism, or lifesaving.
A committee of peers nominated and selected each award recipient.
Officers Christopher McKenna and Joseph Tuccillo received Sheriff’s Gallantry Medals for their brave actions when responding to a shooting in progress in the City of Trenton in January. With a victim on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound, they followed a blood trail to a nearby third floor apartment, apprehending Eddie Rooks — with blood on his hands and a loaded weapon.
Investigators Michael Paglione and Suania Negron received Sheriff’s Achievement Medals for entering a Centre Street home, fully engulfed in fire to ensure all occupants were out safely and then swiftly evacuating surrounding homes in the neighborhood in January.
Letter of Recognition:
Detectives Dean Wylie, William Perez, James Udijohn and James Nizolek received Letters of Recognition for their joint work with the US Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Lawrence Vernon in Trenton in February. Vernon was wanted for first-degree murder charges for shooting a man in Fayetteville, N.C., last year.
Years of Service awards were also presented to officers with 10 and 25 years of departmental service.
Sheriff Jack Kemler thanked each individual officer for his or her dedication to the people of Mercer County.
Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler presents the Officer of the Year award to Gregory Bezek.,
