2 Hillsborough Officers Selected As 'Top Cop' Winners For 2023

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Two Hillsborough Police Officers were selected as the 2023 Top Cop Award recipients for their exceptional performance.

Hillsborough Police Chief Michael McMahon announces the recipients as:

• A-Squad: Officer Dillon Kelly
• B-Squad: Officer James Sakers III

The program was started in 1996 with the Hillsborough Township Police Department looking to recognize the performance of its top-rated Officers.

Each year, two Officers (one from each of the Department’s two Patrol Squads) are selected to receive the Top Cop recognition for the previous year.

The award recipients are determined based on a score from their Annual Job Performance Evaluations along with a ranking from their respective supervisors and peers.

An acknowledgment of the award is placed in the Officers’ permanent Personnel File and a special award bar is presented to each Officer to be worn above his uniform badge.

In addition, the Officers' names will be engraved on a plaque displayed in the lobby of Police Headquarters memorializing each year’s winners.

Officer Dillon Kelly has been a member of the Department since 2019 where he has served in the
Patrol Division. Officer Kelly is the recipient of several Command Citations, letters of appreciation, as well as several Supervisory Commendations such as a lifesaving award.

He also serves as a Field Training Officer for the department. This is Officer Kelly’s second time receiving this award.

Officer James Sakers III has been a member of the Department since 2019. He has served in the
Patrol Division and has been designated a Field Training Officer. Officer Sakers is the recipient of several Command Citations as well as Supervisory Commendations.

He is also the recipient of several letters of appreciation, from the community, for a job well done during the performance of his duties. This is Officer Sakers’ first time receiving Top Cop.

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