Hatem Bridge Policeman Wins Officer of the Year

Officer Gregory Sampson has been named a "top cop" by the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Sampson, who lives in Harford County, is assigned to the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge, which connects Harford and Cecil counties via Route 40.

According to the Maryland Transportation Authority, Sampson has been on the force for seven years.

When Patch asked why he received the award, there were many reasons, according to Sgt. Jonathan Green of the Maryland Transportation Authority:

• He has spent most of his career on the midnight shift, where he has removed countless drunk and drugged drivers. 
• He has repeatedly been one of the top DUI enforcers within the agency.
• He is consistently at the top for law enforcement stats, from traffic citations to criminal arrests, among those assiged to the Hatem Bridge.
• He is the first one that fellow officers and supervisors turn to when something is needed at the detachment.
• He is always willing to learn new things in order to become a better police officer. 
• He has completed numerous training courses, including drug interdiction, conducting the complete traffic stop and the FBI Basic Crisis Negotiator Course.
• He has also completed the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions Instructor Training program and is now a certified instructor. 
• In 2012 he made 44 arrests and issued 802 total pieces of enforcement paperwork. 
• He possesses all of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police principles of honesty, integrity, dignity and dedication.