GACP AWARDS
Dr. Curtis E. McClung/Motorola Award of Excellence
This award honors achievements in innovative programs that:
- Have an impact on a department’s mission, goals and objectives
- Have widespread implications on community/department and the law enforcement profession
- Utilize or deploy resources to accomplish a stated goal effectively,
- Affect quality of life issues of the community
- Impact professionalism in law enforcement
- Promote community and media relations
- Enhance the spirit of cooperation among agencies of multiple jurisdictions, and
- Address an operational challenge (i.e., natural disaster, unique crime problem, etc.).
Agencies under the direct control of a GACP Executive Board member cannot apply for this award. All other law enforcement agencies in which the head of the agency/department is a member in good standing with GACP at the time of the award presentation are eligible to apply for the Dr. Curtis E. McClung/Motorola Award of Excellence.
Nominations
The electronic nomination package for the Dr. Curtis E. McClung/Motorola Award of Excellence, MUST include:
- A cover letter from the agency head attesting to the accuracy and integrity of the supporting documentation (addressed to GACP Executive Director, A. A. “Butch” Ayers)
- A 3 to 5-minute video describing the project/program and how it meets the established criteria as well as the impact of the project
- One page overview of the project/program and how it meets the established criteria as well as the impact of the project.
Outstanding Chief of the Year Award
Nominations for this award may be submitted by anyone wishing to nominate a Chief/Head of a Law Enforcement Agency who is a GACP member in good standing. GACP Executive Board members are excluded from consideration for this award.
When applying for the Outstanding Chief of the Year Award, the electronic nomination package should include:
- A cover letter from the chief’s supervisor attesting to the accuracy and integrity of the supporting documentation (addressed to GACP Executive Director A. A. “Butch” Ayers)
- A narrative outlining the following criteria:
- The member’s service to the Association
- The member’s service to the community, and
- The member’s accomplishments as a law enforcement administrator
Materials should be combined into one (1) electronic document in Microsoft Word or PDF format (Maximum of 5 pages total).
Police Supervisor of the Year
This award is designed to recognize one full-time, sworn, supervisory officer who demonstrates outstanding leadership, service, or commitment for their department, community, or the State. Nomination criteria for this award is designed to ensure it does not replicate or conflict with the Governor’s Public Safety Award. DO NOT SUBMIT NOMINATIONS that recognize Acts of Heroism or Outstanding Deeds which resulted in the protection of life and/or property.
Factors for Consideration May Include:
- Individuals who exhibit strong leadership skills and continuously work to develop individuals assigned to them
- Builds a strong, positive work environment that resulted in demonstrative improvements in service delivery
- Demonstrated compassion for their employees and promoted a positive work-life balance
- An innovation that resulted in a strategy or approach that improved efficiency or decreased cost to department operations, or has a significant impact on the agency’s service delivery
- Solved problems and/or removed unnecessary barriers to achieve the organization’s mission
- Demonstrated extraordinary initiative to overcome obstacles and initiate positive change in their community
- Demonstrated excellence in the use of technology, forensic science, or other technical process to improve the organization’s effectiveness and service delivery
- Collaborated within and across their department to build relationships to improve service delivery with the community
- Coordinated and outstanding effort in criminal investigation(s) that results in the clearance of a serious crime, or a series of crimes, within the community or across the state.
Eligibility: To be eligible for this award, the nominee must be a full-time sworn municipal, county, campus (K-12), or college/university police supervisor, state law enforcement supervisor, or district attorney/solicitor investigative supervisor. Chief executives are excluded from consideration. The performance being recognized must have occurred within the previous 12 months. The supervisor being recognized must not have any disciplinary actions within the previous 12 months.
Nominations: Candidate’s names must be submitted to Executive Director Butch Ayers through the form linked below no later than close of business on June 2, 2025. Candidates’ packages will be anonymized prior to being sent to the Awards Committee for review. One candidate will be recognized from the agency size/type of categories which submitted an application. From these semi-finalists, one candidate will be chosen by the Awards Committee to receive the GACP Police Supervisor of the Year Award.
The agency size / type categories are:
- Agencies with 1 – 10 sworn officers
- Agencies with 11 – 25 sworn officers
- Agencies with 26 – 50 sworn officers
- Agencies with 51 – 100 sworn officers
- Agencies with more than 100 sworn officers
- K-12 school agencies
- College / university / technical college agencies
Nominations should include supporting documentation that may include video recordings, internal memorandums, letters from outside sources, media reports.
When submitting an application for the GACP Police Supervisor of the Year Award, the electronic nomination package should include:
- A cover letter from the agency head endorsing the application and attesting to the accuracy of the supporting documentation (addressed to GACP Executive Director A. A. “Butch” Ayers)
- A narrative outlining the individual’s service/achievement and the results of their efforts
- Materials should be combined into one (1) electronic document in Microsoft Word or PDF format (Maximum of five (5) pages total).
Presentations: Awards for the semi-finalists and the GACP Police Supervisor of the Year will be presented to recipients at the Annual Fall Training Conference Awards Presentation.
Police Officer of the Year
This award is designed to recognize the outstanding service by a full-time, sworn (non-supervisory), officer who brings great credit to their department, community, or the State. Nomination criteria for this award is designed to ensure it does not replicate or conflict with the Governor’s Public Safety Award. DO NOT SUBMIT NOMINATIONS that recognize Acts of Heroism or Outstanding Deeds which resulted in the protection of life and/or property.
Factors for Consideration May Include:
- Significant contributions that resulted in improved safety within the community
- An innovative strategy or approach that improved efficiency or decreased cost to department operations, or has a significant impact on the agency’s service delivery
- Outstanding performance designing and implementing an exemplary problem-solving project in cooperation with the community
- Demonstrated extraordinary initiative to overcome obstacles and initiate positive change in their community
- Demonstrated excellence in the use of technology, forensic science, or other technical process to improve the organization’s effectiveness and service delivery
- Collaborated within and across their department to build relationships to improve service delivery with the community
- Outstanding effort in criminal investigation(s) that results in a clearance of a serious crime or a series of crimes within the community or across the state.
Eligibility: To be eligible for this award, the nominee must be a full-time sworn municipal, county, campus (K-12), or college/university police officer (non-supervisor), state law enforcement officer (non-supervisor), or district attorney/solicitor’s investigator. The performance being recognized must have occurred within the previous 12 months. The officer being recognized must not have any disciplinary actions within the previous 12 months.
Nominations: Candidate’s names must be submitted to Executive Director Butch Ayers through the form linked below no later than close of business on June 2, 2025. Candidates’ packages will be anonymized prior to being sent to the Awards Committee for review. One candidate will be recognized from the agency size/type of categories which submitted an application. From these semi-finalists, one candidate will be chosen by the Awards Committee to receive the GACP Police Officer of the Year Award.
The agency size / type categories are:
- Agencies with 1 – 10 sworn officers
- Agencies with 11 – 25 sworn officers
- Agencies with 26 – 50 sworn officers
- Agencies with 51 – 100 sworn officers
- Agencies with more than 100 sworn officers
- K-12 school agencies
- College / university / technical college agencies
Nominations should include supporting documentation that may include video recordings, internal memorandums, letters from outside sources, media reports.
When submitting an application for the GACP Police Officer of the Year Award, the electronic nomination package should include:
- A cover letter from the agency head endorsing the application and attesting to the accuracy of the supporting documentation (addressed to GACP Executive Director A. A. “Butch” Ayers)
- A narrative outlining the individual’s service/achievement and the results of their efforts
- Materials should be combined into one (1) electronic document in Microsoft Word or PDF format (Maximum of five (5) pages total).
Presentations: Awards will be presented to the semi-finalists and the GACP Police Officer of the Year at the Annual Fall Training Conference Awards Presentation
Administrative Assistant of the Year Award
This award is designed to recognize the outstanding service by a full-time, non-sworn, administrative assistant who brings great credit to their department, community, or the State.
Factors for Consideration May Include:
- Professionally supports the chief and department through effective problem-solving, sound judgment, and maintaining confidentiality of information.
- Continuously performs difficult tasks and solves challenging problems day after day with their resourcefulness and relentless perseverance.
- By interacting professionally and tactfully with others, consistently exhibits a positive, optimistic outlook to achieve results above and beyond expectations.
- Demonstrates initiative, creativity, and willingness to learn new approaches to effectively achieve organizational goals and make use of time and other resources.
- Engages in and models professional growth to improve their productivity as well as those of the chief and their staff.
Eligibility: To be eligible for this award, the nominee must be a full-time administrative/secretary who reports directly to a municipal, county, campus (K-12), or college/university police chief, state law enforcement agency head, or district attorney/solicitor’s chief investigator. The performance being recognized must have occurred within the previous 12 months. The administrative assistant being recognized must not have had any disciplinary actions within the previous 12 months.
Nominations: Candidate’s names must be submitted to GACP Executive Director Butch Ayers through the form linked below no later than close of business on July 15, 2025. Candidates’ packages will be anonymized prior to being sent to the Awards Committee for review. One candidate will be recognized from each of the agency size/type categories which submitted an application. From these semi-finalists, one candidate will be chosen by the Awards Committee to receive the GACP Administrative Assistant of the Year Award. Nominations should include supporting documentation that may include video recordings, internal memorandums, letters from outside sources, media reports.
The agency size / type categories are:
- Agencies with 1 – 10 sworn officers
- Agencies with 11 – 25 sworn officers
- Agencies with 26 – 50 sworn officers
- Agencies with 51 – 100 sworn officers
- Agencies with more than 100 sworn officers
- K-12 school agencies
- College / university / technical college agencies
When submitting an application for the GACP Administrative Assistant of the Year Award, the electronic nomination package should include:
- A cover letter from the agency head endorsing the application and attesting to the accuracy of the supporting documentation (addressed to GACP Executive Director, A. A. “Butch” Ayers).
- A narrative outlining the individual’s service/achievement and the results of their efforts.
- Materials should be combined into one (1) electronic document in Microsoft Word or PDF format (Maximum of five (5) pages total).
Presentations: Awards for the semi-finalists and the GACP Administrative Assistant of the Year will be presented to recipients at the Annual Administrative Assistants Conference.
Nominations must be submitted by the following deadlines:
- Curtis McClung / Motorola Award of Excellence – June 2, 2025
- Outstanding Chief of the Year – June 2, 2025
- Police Officer of the Year – June 2, 2025
- Police Supervisor of the Year – June 2, 2025
- Administrative Assistant of the Year – July 15, 2025
Persons with questions regarding award applications should contact:
Butch Ayers
Executive Director
770-495-9650