2007 Merit Award recipients named by Amherst Police Department

Amherst police officers were honored on Tuesday, Feb. 12 with Merit Awards for the second half of 2007. Recognized were, from left, Officer Brian Kern, Detective Edward Guzdek Jr., Officer Craig Johnson, Officer Thomas Grillo, Officer Mark Doldan and Lt. Brian Miller. Chief John C. Askey stands with the honorees. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

The Amherst Police Department has named its 2007 Merit Award recipients for the second half of the year. The following five officers were recognized by Chief John C. Askey in a ceremony on Feb. 19:

Officer Brian Kern was recognized for the following incident, as reported by the department. At about 5 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2007, an unknown suspect stole a large amount of cash from a department store in a neighboring jurisdiction. The suspect was not located at the time of occurrence.

A report about the incident, including the suspect's description and method of operation, was released and read by Kern. He felt that the type of crime and suspect description matched that of a known offender he had arrested earlier in the month in Amherst.

Kern notified the investigating agency about his suspicions, and after a brief investigation, the suspect was arrested.

"Due to Kern's attention to detail and personal initiative, a case that might never have been solved was cleared in a timely fashion. Kern's assistance was greatly appreciated and serves as a good example of interagency cooperation," Capt. Charles Cohen said.

Also recognized were Lt. Brian Miller, Officer Mark Doldan and Officer Craig Johnson. At about 12:45 a.m. on Sept. 22, 2007, officers responded to a motel for a report of an armed robbery in progress. Doldan was first to arrive and received information that one suspect had just left the scene. He located the suspect a short distance away and took him into custody at gunpoint.

Miller arrived next and directed search efforts, conducted some preliminary interviews and secured the crime scene. An extensive search for the suspect's handgun yielded negative results. Not to be deterred, Miller continued the search until daybreak, and eventually inquired about the availability of a metal detector.

Johnson responded to the scene with his equipment and in a short time recovered a loaded .40-caliber handgun from a wooded area. Lab tests have already linked the weapon to at least two shootings to date.

"Due to their dedication, attention to detail and persistence, a dangerous criminal and his firearm were taken off the street," Cohen said.

Officer Thomas Grillo also received a merit award. At about 11 p.m. on June 5, 2007, Grillo observed a young female standing outside a local motel. The girl was then picked up by an older man.

Sensing something was wrong, Grillo stopped the vehicle. An odor of marijuana was present in the vehicle, and when Grillo began to interview the occupants. his investigation revealed that the meeting was prearranged, for the purpose of the driver, age 34, to have sexual relations with the 14-year-old girl.

A search of the vehicle also yielded a quantity of marijuana and a loaded, unregistered handgun.

"Due to Officer Grillo's keen instincts and superior investigative skill, a serious sex crime was prevented and a 'would-be' sexual predator, and his illegal firearm, was taken off our streets," Cohen said.