Dearborn Police Officers Recognized By Service Clubs

DEARBORN, MI – Two of the city’s premier service clubs honored members of the Dearborn Police Department last week during ceremonies in advance of National Police Week.

Local ceremonies were hosted by the Exchange Club of Dearborn, which honored 37 members of the police department on May 10, and the Dearborn Optimist Club, which held its Respect for Law Public Safety Awards luncheon on May 11.

National Police Week, which continues through Saturday, honors police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

At the Exchange Club event, Cpl. David Finazzo was awarded the Police Officer of the Year award, Sgt. Tim McHale was awarded the Outstanding Service Award – Supervisor, and Cpl. Melissa Gajek was awarded the Outstanding Service Award – Non-Supervisor.

Dispatcher Irazema Montana was awarded Dispatcher of the Year.

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Lt. Donald Armstrong, Lt. Ronald Beggs, and Sgt. Derrick Hadder were all awarded the Meritorious Service Awards. Lt. Donald Wilcox was awarded the Michael A. Guido Community Service Award, Darren Kielb was awarded the Civilian of the Year award, and Cpl. Cyle Giziki received a lifesaving award.

At the Optimist Club event, Detective Cpl. Jane Kass was awarded the Police Officer of the Year Award and Police Explorer Lt. Mariam Hoballah was awarded the Explorer of the Year Award.

The Dearborn Optimist Club also chose to award 19th District Court Judge William Hultgren, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award; Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad, who received a Meritorious Service Award; and the ATA Junior Optimist Club, which received a Special Commendation.

Dearborn police officers who receive awards are nominated by their peers and their supervisors and are selected by a police department committee and the chief of police.

Photos (in order that they appear):

Exchange Club Police Officer of the Year, from left: President Tony Guerriero, Chief Ronald Haddad, Cpl. David Finazzo, Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr., Commander David Robinson, Captain Issa Shahin and Zack Hayward, representative of U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn.

Optimist Explorer award, from left: Cpl. Daniel Bartok, Sgt. Paul Doulette, Commander David Robinson, Explorer Post Lt. Mariam Hoballah, Chief Ronald Haddad.

Optimist award — chief, from left: Optimist President Barry Hawthorne, Councilman Michael Sareini, Chief Ronald Haddad, Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr.

Optimist award, from left Chief Haddad, Optimist Steve Quinlan.

Kass Optimist award, from left: Chief Ronald Haddad, left, with Optimist Officer of the Year Detective Cpl. Jane Kass.