Banquet honors outstanding service to Police Department

The Ponca City Police Department’s Appreciation Banquet, held by the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association Monday night, recognized the outstanding service of several  officers and civilians working for the department.

The Officer of the Year:

Police Chief Don Bohon said this officer joined the Ponca City Police Department in 2014. After a year, he was chosen as a member of the Tactical Team. In 2016, he was promoted to corporal.

In 2017, he worked 693 hours of overtime. This is the equivalent of 1/3 of a year in OT, to help cover shortages on the street. In 2017, he made 115 arrests, wrote 739 traffic contacts, and responded to 679 calls for service as the primary officer. This officer also arrested 14 people for DUI in 2017. He has a pride for this profession, a high level of self-initiated activity, is very dependable, a great team player, and has a very positive attitude.

I can remember many situations over the last few years where he handled highly volatile situations with a calm, cool head, and was able to work through and get a peaceful outcome when it could have been much worse.

For all these reasons, our Officer of the Year for 2017 is Corporal Daniel Morrison.

Civilian of the Year – This employee started with the department, in dispatch in late 2016. The communications center has been shorthanded and dispatchers have been working 12 hour shifts. This dispatcher was willing to cover shifts through the holidays, because of other dispatchers were on scheduled leave, or sick, and many times this was on short notice.  She even helped come up with a schedule that covered the shortages and helped make sure the slots were all covered.

Through all this, she has maintained a positive, helpful attitude and is always willing to pitch in. I can personally attest to the fact that she has maintained her sense of humor. I have the pictures of my well decorated office to prove it.

Congratulations to our Civilian of the Year for 2017,   Dispatcher Brea Hendricks.

Lifesaving Award for Sergeant Jason Ivers– On May 5, 2017, at about 11:47 p.m., the comm center received a call about a stabbing in the alley behind the 900 Block of North Pine. Then Corporal Jason Ivers, arrived on scene and rendered aid to the victim. Sergeant Robert Smith said the wound was an arterial bleed and Ivers knew exactly what to do, holding pressure on the wound to control blood loss.

The Ponca City Fire Department Assistant Chief, Mike Gronigan, wrote that Ivers performed tirelessly and professionally, and he was instrumental in the success of saving the victim. We were told by more than one person that Ivers’ immediate action and knowledge of what to do is likely the reason the man survived.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention this is the second time Jason Ivers has saved someone’s life while working as a Ponca City Police Officer. He was awarded the Officer of the Year for 2012 because of his role in resuscitating a very small child who had accidently been strangled. Sergeant Jason Ivers has continually proven an ability to remain calm in the most harrowing situations and perform at a level that saves lives.