Mixed Emotions At OCPD Officer of Year Banquet

OCEAN CITY — There were mixed emotions at the Ocean City Neighborhood Watch Association’s annual Officer of the Year banquet this week including joy for the newest OCPD officer to join the club tempered with the solemn remembrance of those officers who perished in 2013.

At the culmination of the annual awards dinner at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on Tuesday, the Ocean City Neighborhood Watch Association named OCPD Corporal James Runkles as its Officer of the Year award winner. Runkles joined the OCPD in 2007 and has been assigned to the patrol division ever since. Also nominated for the annual award this year were Lieutenant Scott Harner, Lieutenant Mark Pacini, Corporal Allen Hawk and Officer Daniel McBride.

Before the more uplifting segment of the annual awards banquet commenced, however, the OCPD, the Neighborhood Watch Association and those assembled took time to honor the memory of those lost to the department in 2013. Among those honored in the solemn ceremony prior to the awards dinner were Officer Thomas Geoghegan and Pfc. Joshua Addickes, who died in a plane crash just off the coast at 130th Street on a crowded Sunday afternoon on June 30.

Geoghegan was an experienced pilot in the cockpit on that fateful mid-summer afternoon and Addickes was his passenger. Several months later, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not issued a final report on the crash and the investigation is ongoing.

Also honored on Tuesday was veteran Animal Control Officer Donald Spence, who passed away on December 23 after being admitted to PRMC in Salisbury with a medical emergency the day before. Spence, 43, was an Animal Control officer for the OCPD for 10 years and was truly loved by everyone at the department and throughout the resort for his work on behalf of animals.

At Tuesday’s event, which included a candle-lighting ceremony, the families of the fallen officers were on hand and received memorial items from OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro and the Ocean City Fraternal Order of Police. In addition, OCPD K-9 Officer Pfc. Kevin Flower was also given a commemorative urn for his former partner “Tacko,” who passed away this year. Finally, Dan Donatelli and Dorothy “Dot” Healey were also remembered as dedicated members of their Neighborhood Watch groups for many years.

After the solemn ceremonies honoring the lost officers and others in 2013, the event was largely about the newly minted OCPD Officer of the Year Corporal James Runkles. Originally from Baltimore, Runkles served in the Marine Corps from 1999 to 2004 and was deployed to the theater of operations during Operation Enduring Freedom and also Africa. He joined the OCPD in 2007 and was promoted to Police Officer-First Class in 2010 and Corporal in 2012.

Runkles became a K-9 officer in March 2011 and he and his partner “Breki” have been instrumental in the seizure of narcotics, weapons and the arrests of suspects ever since. As an OCPD officer, Runkles has received the Excellent Police Performance Commendation, a Unit Citation and a Bronze Star. He was recognized by the OC Elks Lodge as Ocean City Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2010.

Numerous officers were also recognized on Tuesday and received commendations for distinguishing themselves by going above and beyond what is normally required during various incidents that occurred throughout 2013. Receiving Unit Citations were the members of the Honor Guard and Casket Vigil Teams for their efforts during the funerals of Geoghegan and Addickes. The OCPD Narcotics Unit was also honored with a Unit Citation for obtaining information about a planned armed robbery by a heroin addict before the crime was committed.

Officer Trevor Greenawalt, Pfc. Lee Arlington and Officer Jennifer Smithhart each earned Special Commendations for administering CPR which saved the lives of different victims prior to the arrival of paramedics during separate incidents in 2013. Pfc. Michael Kelly and PSA Michael Short were honored with Excellent Performance Awards for their efforts in the apprehension of four suspects involved in an armed robbery during which shots were fired at the victims.

Harner was honored with an Excellent Performance Award for his work in initiating the Walk Smart campaign. Lt. Elton Harmon, Pfc. Michael Karsnitz, Pfc. Kevin Flower and Pfc. Vicki Martin were awarded for their efforts in the apprehension of a fugitive from Delaware who threatened a victim with a machete and caused two hit-and-run accidents before fleeing into the bay.

Pfc. Daniel Jacobs, Pfc. Ryan Flanagan, Officer Chris Wrench and FM Cliff Christello were honored for subduing a dangerous suicidal suspect who threatened to kill himself with a knife. Sgt. Shawn Jones, Dfc. Carl Perry, Smithhart and Christello were honored for their investigation of a suspect who shot two victims with a handgun. Dfc. Greg Eastman was awarded for his proactive drug enforcement efforts during 2013, and Dfc. David Whitmer was awarded for his investigation of a theft and fraud case where about $1 million was stolen from an elderly victim.