Justice Department honors law enforcement officers

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Justice Department leadership this week announced the recipients of the Second Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, recognizing the exceptional work of 25 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country.

“The Trump administration supports law enforcement at all levels—and we always will,” Sessions said in a statement from the Justice Department. “Today’s awards honor the incredible work that is being done across this country every day. This Department of Justice takes pride in announcing today’s winners of the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing.”

The Justice Department has been committed to supporting law enforcement and continues to back the “women and men in blue,” as directed by President Donald Trump’s February 2017 executive order.

The department has recently awarded grants to assist law enforcement and first responders who supported mass shootings in Las Vegas, Nevada, Parkland, Florida, and Santa Fe, Texas. In addition, the department has helped police departments across America to hire hundreds more police officers through the COPS grant program.

The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and tribal sworn rank-and-file police officers and deputies for exceptional efforts in policing.

The awarded officers and deputies have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or innovations in community policing.

The department received 207 nominations for 469 individuals ranging from state police departments to local police, to campus public safety agencies. This award highlights the work that officers and deputies do to prevent, intervene in, and respond to crime and public safety issues.

Among those recognized was Deputy Ned Nemeth of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada.

“Deputy Nemeth has demonstrated active exceptional performance in field operations,” the Justice Department said in its statement.

As a full-time K-9 handler, he works highway interdiction and has successfully reduced illegal operations in the past year along the I-80 corridor, including seizing 206 pounds of illegal marijuana, 359.42 grams of methamphetamine, and 43 contraband prescription opioid pain pills.

“Deputy Nemeth is known for providing high-quality information about his interstate contacts to other agencies across the country,” the statement read. “His efforts as a part of the (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas) task force in northern Nevada not only have positive effects on his own community but also make meaningful contributions to other jurisdictions working to disrupt and dismantle organized drug trafficking operations nationwide.”