Harrisburg Police Bureau officials presented awards during a ceremony at Whitaker Center.
Dozens of Harrisburg police officers were awarded for their service and efforts over the past year at an annual ceremony.
On Tuesday, the bureau held its Police Officer Awards Ceremony to applaud awardees for solving homicides, bringing justice to lawbreakers and assisting residents in crisis, among other accomplishments.
“This is our chance to say properly, thank you, thank you,” said Mayor Wanda Williams at the ceremony, held at Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center. “Thank you for running into the unknown when others run away. You are brave in the face of danger.”
Officials noted the high number of homicides in the city in 2022 and applauded officers for solving 78% of those cases, a number that exceeds the national average rate of solved homicides.
Officer awards covered everything from assisting in cases of mental health crises, burglaries, shootings and kidnappings.
Officer Jeffrey Teeter received an award for saving the life of an infant (pictured, with his mother).
One officer, Jeffrey Teeter received an award for saving the life of a 3-day-old baby who was not breathing, by providing CPR. The mother of the child and the infant attended Tuesday’s ceremony to recognize Teeter’s efforts.
Another award went to several officers who identified and obtained a confession from the suspect in the December homicide in Harrisburg’s Sunken Gardens on N. Front Street.
Brandon Hoover received the Officer of the Year award.
The following awards were presented by the Police Bureau:
- Award 1 – Armed & Dangerous Individuals
- Award of Valor: Officers Chad R. Showers and Brandon J. Hoover
- Award of Merit: Officers Christopher M. Novak, Marc S. Howell, Brian M. Stright, Brendan J. Kovach, Sethton A. Weist, Brandon Remington, Colin Ware and Cpl. Brandon D. Braughler
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Schuyler N. Glotfelty, Austin L. Snyder, Kristina M. Kelley, Stephen A. Marte, Brandon J. Hoover, Evan D. McKenna, Dauphin County Dispatcher Will Gibler, Harrisburg Bureau of Fire Lifeteam EMS paramedics Kay Ross and Edward Ream, EMTs David Malysz, Michael Raymond and Jorden Helsel
- Award 2 – Mental Health Crisis
- Award of Merit: Cpl. Christopher Auletta, Officer Brian Stright and Officer Christopher Novak
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Officers Brock Fasnacht, Brandon Remington and Christopher Palamara
- Award 3 – Homicide
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Officers Cpl. Donald Bender, Christopher M. Palamara, P.A. Attorney General’s Agents James Hinton, Ashley Baluh, Sean Haggarty, Dawn Matson, Maurice Edwards, Lauren Hoffman-Diller, Kurt Zitsch and Thomas Moore
- Award 4 – Traffic Stop & Burglary w/ Guns
- Award of Merit: Cynthia Kreiser and Mark Kingsboro
- Unit Citation: Todd Arnold, Esteban Restrepo, John Doll, Erik Henry, Kelly English, Chad McGowan, Cpl. Teresa Covey and Sgt. Robert Minnier
- Award 5 – Robbery Arrest
- Award of Merit: Officers Schuyler N. Glotfelty, Austin L. Snyder and Brian M. Stright
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Kristina M. Kelley, Chad R. Showers, Anthony Cummings, Sethton A. Wiest, Caleb J. Tanner, Brendan J. Kovach, Stephen A. Marte and Cpl. Brandon D Braughler
- Award 6—Shooting at Nightclub
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Cpl. Brandon D. Braughler, Marc S. Howell, Evan D. McKenna, Brian M. Stright, Cpl. Christopher M. Auletta, Edgar C. Taylor, Austin L. Snyder, Cody E. Geier, Chad R. Showers, Brandon J. Hoover, Brendan J Kovach, Schuyler N. Glotfelty, Haden W. Landis and Stephen A. Marte
- Award 7 – Child Homicide
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Robert M. Fleagle, Sgt. Raymond R. Lyda, Stephanie Barrelet, John A. Doll, Detective Ian L. Dawson, Sgt. Robert J. Yost, Cynthia A. Kreiser, Investigator Karen A. Lyda, Investigator Duane D. Pyles, Mark A. Kingsboro, Jeremy Sborz, Ryan. K. Fetzer, Chad McGowan, Jeffrey Teeter, Det. Andrew Bath and Detective John D. Rosinski
- Award 8 – Citizen Intervention in Assault
- Citizens Commendation: Brandon Bang
- Award 9 – Mental Health Crisis
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Officers Jeffrey H. Teeter, Jarrod M. Haar, Caleb J. Tanner, Marc E. Hall, Justin C. Shoeman, Alexander K. Miller, Haden W. Landis, Cpl. Derek W. Fenton, Dauphin County Co-Responder Jorge Collazo-Gonzalez
- Award 10 – Kidnapping of Children and Assault
- Award of Merit: Todd M. Arnold
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Farida Kingsboro, Christopher M. Novak, Christopher M. Palamara, Cpl. Christopher M. Auletta, Schuyler N. Glotfelty, Marc S. Howell, Brian M. Stright, Chad R. Showers, Edgar C. Taylor, Sgt. Scott T. Johnsen, Stephen A. Marte, Uriah A. Aviles, Adam M. Sabo, Lt. Kyle A. Gautsch, Chad A. McGowan, Leea Abdelmalek, Robert M. Fleagle, Detective Christopher M. Silvio, Cynthia A. Kreiser, Todd M. Arnold, Nathan W. Ishman, Harry E. Burger II, Sgt. Robert J. Minnier, Sgt. Raymon R. Lyda, Kristina Kelly and Detective Edwin Powell
- Award 11 – Arrest of Armed Suspect
- Merit: Mark A. Kingsboro
- Award 12 – Vehicle Entrapment
- Heroism: Officer Marc Howell II
- Award 13 – Life Saving CPR
- Life Saving Award: Jeffrey H. Teeter
- Award 14—Kidnapping and Auto Theft
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Cpl. A. Novchich, Cpl. Derek W. Fenton, Officers Jenelle L. Keppley, James T. Bennett, Justin C. Shoeman, Caleb J. Tanner, Brandon M. Cossentino, Haden W. Landis, Corey M. Masse, Mitchell T. Gochenaur, Joshua A. Criswell, Jeffrey H. Teeter, Detective Jaemee I. Cobb and Sgt. Brian Henry
- Award 15 – Sunken Gardens Homicide
- Distinguished Unit Citation: Detectives Anthony O. Cummings, Jason D. Brinker, Ian L. Dawson, Ryan K. Fetzer, Andrew M. Bath, Investigators Karen A. Lyda and Duane D. Pyles
The bureau also recognized several officers for their retirements, including Officer Kelly English, K-9 Arco, K-9 Zoe, Lt. James Galkowski and Captain Milo Hooper.
Lt. Russell Winder, Jr. recently took over as commander of the bureau’s Community Services Division, replacing Hooper who retired on May 21.
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