As public servants, the men and women of the Arlington Police Department rarely seek recognition or praise for the remarkable and impactful things they do every day.

It's why the department takes time each year to celebrate employees and community partners who have gone above and beyond in service to Arlington, so they have an opportunity to hear just how meaningful their work is.

This week, the department held its Annual Awards Ceremony which recognized outstanding and exceptional contributions made during the 2024 calendar year.

More than 85 employees, volunteers, and community organizations were nominated for Annual Awards across 16 categories.

 Recipients were honored for everything from providing vital assistance to hundreds of sexual assault survivors and using innovative strategies to solve high-profile murders, to disrupting major auto-theft rings and building a thriving employee wellness program.

 The 2024 Annual Award Recipients are:

• Business Partnership Award: The Women's Center of Tarrant County
  
  
• Citizens Community Award: Dr. Jaya Davis, UTA Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
  
  
• Community Engagement & Technical Service Officer of the Year: Detective Stephen Lawson
  
  
• Detective of the Year: Detective Jesse Lathrop
  
  
• Investigative & Tactical Officer of the Year: Officer Colin Radford
  
  
• Professional Employee of the Year (Administrative): Mariana Rodriguez
  
  
• Professional Employee of the Year (Exempt): Chaplain Rick Burgin
  
  
• Professional Employee of the Year (Technical): Crime Scene Investigator Jason Fernandes
  
  
• Rookie of the Year: Officer Kaleb Ruiz
  
  
• East District Officer of the Year: Corporal Jese James
  
  
• North District Officer of the Year: Officer Scott Neely
  
  
• South District Officer of the Year: Corporal Trinity Bruce
  
  
• West District Officer of the Year: Corporal Christopher Austin
  
  
• Professional Supervisor of the Year: Melissa Jones
  
  
• Sworn Supervisor of the Year: Sergeant Grant Gildon
  
  
• Overall Employees of the Year: Detective Nathan Bishop & Detective Frank King
  
  

“We truly have the best police department in the country – and I mean the best,” said Chief of Police Al Jones. “And it’s because of the outstanding public servants that work for this department. Celebrating the hard work, contributions, and service of these employees is the highlight of my year.”

NBC 5 Today Anchor Laura Harris served as the emcee for the event. The department would like to thank Ms. Harris, the Arlington Police Foundation, Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church, Calloway's Nursery, Starbucks, Cafe Sicilia, The Cheesecake Factory, All-American Awards, and the other organizations who helped make the ceremony possible.