The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Police Auxiliary honored at ceremony
The auxiliary officers who volunteer their time in service to the city of Lorain where rewarded for their efforts.
The Lorain Police Department held their annual Lorain Police Auxiliary Award Ceremony on May 17 at the Lorain City Council Chambers to honor the men and women who don the gray auxiliary uniform.
“The auxiliary officers have been serving Lorain for 45 years,” said Lorain Auxiliary Chief Jim Malick. “This is the annual night of recognition to honor these volunteer officers who serve their community.”
Malick said the auxiliary officers provide many services for the department.
“Auxiliary help with everything from crowd control to maintenance,” he said. “Where ever help is needed, that is where an auxiliary office will be.”
Malik said the auxiliary position is filled by a variety of individuals.
“We have a mix of both young and old,” he said. “Some are people who have retired but still want to provide a service to Lorain. There are others who would like to be an officer some day and view this as a first step in their careers. It ends up being a very
diverse group of people, but they all have the same great passion for serving this city.”
Malick said certain awards will be given out based on statistics.
“We take a look at the amount of hours served to determine the top auxiliary officer and patrolman,” he said. “We will also be giving awards for those who will be retiring and those who are being sworn in. The awards basically recognize auxiliary officers’ excellence and show others how much they have done for the city.”
Malick said the auxiliary officers are on call 24 hours a day, seven day a week.
“The auxiliary officers fill in where there is a need,” he said. “A new responsibility has been prison transfers. The transfers of a prisoner to country can be a very time consuming process, so auxiliary officers help out to allow police officers the freedom to go where they are needed. These auxiliary officers deserve our thanks and gratitude for truly making Lorain a better place to live.”