Photo by Richard L. Gaw                     Police Chief Gerald Simpson of the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department congratulates Officer Riley Miller, who was named as the recipient of the 2021 Commissioners Award during ceremonies held on May 12.

By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

Riley Miller, an officer with the Southern Chester County Regional Police, was the recipient of the 2021 Commissioners Award as officer of the year at the department’s awards ceremony, held on May 12 at the New Garden Township Building.

Miller also earned one of nine DUI enforcement awards given at the event, joining officers Stephen Boyer, Patrick Huver, Vincent Giacobello, Brandon Krissinger and Justin Busam, as well as officers Gregory Blue, Stephen Syska and Corporal Benjamin Brown, who earned lifetime awards.

In addition, Boyer, Huver, James French and Nicole Lantz were sworn in as new officers by the Hon. Matthew Seavey.  The department also thanked the Kennett Area Rotary Club and Rev. and Police Chaplain Annalie Korengel for their assistance in funding the cost of producing backpacks that are being used by officers in the department.

Busam also delivered a poignant address before his fellow officers that recognized National Police Week (May 11-17) and saluted the service of officers in the local community and across the nation who have been killed in the line of duty.

“National Police Week offers honor, remembrance and peer support while allowing law enforcement, survivors and citizens to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the line of duty,” Busam said. “I have attended funerals for officers who have given the ultimate sacrifice. I have seen the families of these officers cry and mourn the loss of their loved ones who were killed in the line of duty doing their job, never expecting that on that specific day and at that specific time, their life would end.

“Whatever one’s views are on the issues of the day, I hope that people within this room as well as outside this room pause and reflect on the sacrifices each and every one of these officers make,” he added. “Not just sacrifices of everyday life but the ultimate sacrifice that each of these officers may face – the grueling work, the gnawing stress, the ever-present danger of sudden and deadly violence and the burdens and anxieties placed on their family life.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].