Cheshire PD Honors Its Police Officer Of The Year

CHESHIRE, CT — The Cheshire Police Department honored Officer Lester Zimnoch as its Police Officer of the Year in a ceremony at the Aqua Turf in Southington on Thursday night.

Zimnoch joined the Cheshire Police Department in 2016 after spending 20 years with the Meriden Police Department. He retired from Meriden at the rank of sergeant and brought his “vast knowledge and expertise with him,” according to Cheshire Police Chief Neil Dryfe.

“Since joining the Cheshire Police Department, he has continually shown to be a valuable employee,” Dryfe wrote in presenting Zimnoch as Officer of the Year. “Officer Zimnoch quickly established himself a role model to his fellow officers and is admired by his peers.”

Read more from Dryfe’s letter below:

“Officer Zimnoch is currently assigned to the Auto Theft Task Force and has excelled at the position. He routinely develops strong leads and focuses all his efforts on identifying suspects in motor vehicle thefts and other criminal activity, not only in Cheshire, but in surrounding towns. Officer Zimnoch also dedicates his free time to the Task Force and as a result, has established many contacts with other task force officers around the state. These contacts are invaluable as stolen cars are used to commit crimes all around the State of Connecticut.

“On December 8, 2022, Officer Zimnoch responded to the Berlin Turnpike in Meriden in an attempt to locate a stolen pickup truck taken from Cheshire in November. Through his investigative skills, Officer Zimnoch was able to locate the vehicle, occupied by a suspect, in the parking lot of a Meriden motel. The suspect attempted to flee, twice ramming Officer Zimnoch’s police vehicle with the stolen truck. Although faced with a potentially deadly situation, Officer Zimnoch was able to maintain his composure, quickly assess the situation, and ultimately capture a dangerous suspect with the assistance of Meriden Task Force Officers.

“Throughout his tenure with the Cheshire Police Department, Officer Zimnoch has shown himself to be a dedicated police officer. He is routinely praised by his supervisors for his work ethic, professionalism, and dedication.

“The men and women of the Cheshire Police Department are honored to name Officer Lester Zimnoch our 2022 Police Officer of the Year.”