OPS Commendations

Commendations are formal and informal statements of praise for an employee who has done something admirable and performed a notable action or praiseworthy deed. A commendation can be an official internal Department award or an unofficial recognition from a third party such as a citizen or other organization for notable action(s) performed by Police Department sworn and non-sworn employees. Sworn employees are any employees with statutory authority to make an arrest. They include officers, sergeants, lieutenants, commanders, chief and deputy-chief. Executive is defined as either Deputy Chief or Chief, which were smaller variables condensed into one. Non-Sworn employees are civilian employees who do not have the power of arrest. They include coordinators, cadets, and professional staff members. Commendations serve as formal recognitions, which can be put forward by supervisors, colleagues, or community members. Both sworn and non-sworn personnel are eligible to receive these accolades. The frequency of commendations may vary annually, influenced by noteworthy occurrences. Types of Commendations Unit Merit Award - A Unit Merit Award is the recognition of an act or acts that are note-worthy and deserving of recognition that is more than doing a good job. Divisional Commendation - Divisional Commendation is the recognition of an act or acts that are within the scope of that employee's duties but rise to a level that "Sets the Bar" for others in that Division to strive for or inspires others, in that unit, to band together for a common purpose. Departmental Commendation - Departmental Commendation is the recognition of an act or acts of an employee which could be considered as having gone above and beyond the call of duty. It recognizes an employee who has performed an act or acts that are exemplary in nature or that are outside their normal duties and acted in such a manner as to distinguish themselves above even inspirational acts. Medal of Valor - Medal of Valor is an award for bravery, usually given for individual acts of extraordinary bravery or heroism performed in the line of duty at extreme, life-threatening, personal risk. It recognizes an officer who has performed an act of bravery displaying an extreme amount of courage while knowingly facing imminent danger.