Five Lancaster County police officers received awards at the Lancaster County Chiefs of Police Association's biennial Police Memorial Awards Service held last month at West Willow United Methodist Church in Willow Street.

Police departments across the county nominated officers for four award categories: Outstanding Act of Bravery, Outstanding Investigator of the Year, Outstanding Officer of the Year, and Career Achievement. The event was sponsored by Conestoga Wood Specialties, Covenant CPS LLC, Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Foxchase Golf Club, Groff's Heating, and Shady Maple.

District Attorney Heather Adams presented East Lampeter Township Police Department Detective Chris Jones with the Outstanding Investigator of the Year award.

Det. Jones spearheaded the recognition of human trafficking as an issue in Lancaster County and has led many successful operations focusing on the demand for commercial sex throughout the county with the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officer Brandon McCormick was presented the Outstanding Officer of the Year Award by Senator Scott Martin. Officer McCormick served in the Selective Enforcement Unit in 2022 and 2023 and prosecuted over 1,800 felony charges, including the seizure of 38 firearms, roughly $107,000 worth of narcotics, and approximately $28,000 U.S. currency.

East Cocalico Police Department Officer Joseph Dougherty was presented the Outstanding Act of Bravery award by Representative Steven Mentzer for his prompt response and immediate CPR after responding to a cardiac arrest in April 2023. Officer Dougherty accompanied the ambulance crew and continued giving CPR until arriving at the hospital. The individual was resuscitated upon arrival at the hospital, eventually discharged, and is doing well.

Ephrata Police Department Officer Scott Martin and Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department Detective Eric Zimmerman were presented Career Achievement Awards by police chaplains Rev. Bob Garvey and Rev. Joe Scherer.

Officer Martin began his policing career in 1996 and has vast expertise in facial recognition analysis, identifying 168 suspects in 2023 alone while assisting agencies in 17 counties through Pennsylvania, US Post Office, Department of Homeland Security, and agencies in Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia.

Detective Zimmerman started a 35-year policing career after being honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps in 1988. Zimmerman was an integral part of the development of the NLCRPD Criminal Investigative Unit leading hundreds of investigations and mentoring and training new detectives.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.