National Police Week, held May 12 – 18, was one to remember. This year’s commemoration came on the heels of a difficult few weeks for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and our city in the wake of a fatal attack on law enforcement officers in our North Tryon Division.
Despite these difficult moments, the department had much to memorialize, celebrate and appreciate. Here are just a few of the highlights from the special events hosted to respect and honor the men and women who protect and serve the Charlotte region:
‘The Challenge’ Fitness Competition
The week started with “The Challenge” fitness competition. This year included 10 stops around Uptown Charlotte with 200 reps of an exercise at each stop. A record 75 teams turned out. Corey Geohagan, Matt Freeman, Seth Greene and Evan Nabb finished fastest and took home the trophy.
Second Annual Fishing Tournament
Tuesday brought the second annual fishing tournament at Red Fez Shrine Club on Lake Wylie. It was a rainy day on the water, but that didn’t stop some outstanding competition.
The tournament ended with lunch from Noble Smoke and tournament awards:
- Most Fish Caught by a Team: 20
- Biggest Fish: 17.52 lb. catfish
The Shriners of Red Fez also made a surprise donation to the Police Foundation.
Awards Ceremony
On Wednesday, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings handed out 105 plaques to hardworking and deserving sworn and civilian employees during the 2024 CMPD Awards ceremony. Their stories of bravery in the face of personal danger, life-saving efforts and going above and beyond to help citizens in need are what this profession is all about.
Cornhole Tournament
Thursday’s Cornhole Tournament and Field Day also included archery this year. The competition that showed up to the field at American Legion Memorial Stadium was intense. This year, the Independence Division took home the trophy. They beat the defending champion Property and Evidence team in a close match.
44th Annual Police Community Relations Awards
Thursday evening, 10 CMPD officers received awards at the 44th Annual Police Community Relations Awards ceremony.
This is an annual feature of National Police Week that recognizes officers who have gone above and beyond to build positive, problem-solving relationships with individual residents and neighborhood groups. Officers are nominated by community members, and winners are selected by a group made up of members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee.
Congratulations to the 2024 winners:
- Captain Joan Gallant, Quality Assurance Division
- Officer Doug Gallant Jr., North Tryon Division
- Officer Rafael Garcia, Freedom Division
- Officer Jody Harkey, Aviation Unit
- Officer Amanda Huffman, University City Division
- Officer Jason Humphreys, Hickory Grove Division
- Sergeant Jeffrey Joseph, Central Division
- Officer GF Ritter Jr., Hickory Grove Division
- Officer Marcus Thompson, North Tryon Division
- Officer Daniel Youngblood, ABC Unit
Mecklenburg County Peace Officers’ Memorial Service
The week closed with the Mecklenburg County Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. Preceding the service, CMPD officers and employees gathered at the police memorial across from Charlotte’s Law Enforcement Center and unveiled Officer Joshua Eyer’s name etched into the statue. Officer Eyer was one of four law enforcement officers killed during the attack in the North Tryon Division on April 29. The group then marched to First Baptist Charlotte for the service.
This was a sobering time of reflection. We will always honor and remember the fallen.
Thank you to the CMPD Human Resources team
And finally, a special thanks to the CMPD Human Resources team for their hard work organizing the Police Week events. They not only planned the events, but also staffed each to ensure everything ran smoothly.
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