MPD officers receive medals, commendations

Life-saving heroism, good deeds and hard work were part of what made the last few months particularly memorable for Maricopa police officers. Those who stood out were honored in a ceremony Wednesday.

Seven people, including two Maricopa firefighters, received the Medal of Distinction & Lifesaving from Maricopa Police Chief Steve Stahl. The recipients were recognized for their actions after a fatal car crash in January in which a vehicle ended up submerged in a lake with two women inside. One survived.

Those who jumped in the water or rendered first aid to the victims and received medals were Cdr. Richard Clore, Sgt. Leonard Perez, Officer James Thwaits, Officer Jenny Alsidez, James Elliot and firefighters Aaron Ray and Antonio Luna.

Stahl said though Eileen Brown died, “still, a life was saved.” And the efforts of the first responders gave Brown a little bit more time with her family, he said.

MPD’s Employee of the Quarter was Officer Meredith McLean. Stahl noted her work with the Victim Assistance Program and Wills for Heroes. McLean said she was just doing her job.

“We always run the chance of our life being cut short on the job,” she said.

Wills for Heroes is a nonprofit organization through the Arizona State Bar in which attorneys and paralegals volunteer their time to help first responders make up wills. Stahl said police officers don’t like to think of their own mortality, but McLean was instrumental in registering 40 people.

The VAP allows her to bond with victims in an empathetic manner while other officers are investigating a crime. Many of the encounters she has are through domestic violence. She connects victims with people and resources to help immediately and in the long run. “We help people get help,” she said.

McLean has 14 years on the job in various capacities and has been with MPD since the department’s first year in 2007.

Officer Andrew DeOrio received an individual commendation for going the extra mile for a 3 year old. Stahl said the boy, on a quest to buy himself a birthday present, left the house through the garage while family members were not looking. DeOrio talked to the wanderer, who did not know his address put knew his father’s banking pin number, and located the home, determined everything was in order with the family and even bought the boy a birthday present.

Alsidez and staffer Tim Gomez received commendations for their work on MPD’s successful application for accreditation to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. MPD was the youngest organization seeking accreditation before the commission.

Stahl also gave commendations to a group of officers for using “good, old-fashioned police work” to find and arrest a suspected thief. In February, the officers were called to Walmart for a suspected armed robbery. The description of the suspect matched someone the officers remembered from a previous contact.