OCPD PROUDLY ANNOUNCES 2011 AUXILIARY OFFICER OF THE YEAR

On Thursday, March 22, 2012, the Ocean City Police Department celebrated its annual “Auxiliary Officer of the Year” banquet. The OCPD Auxiliary program, which began in 1999, boasts 16 members who generously donate their time to the Ocean City Police Department and the Ocean City community.

The title of “Auxiliary Officer of the Year” is awarded to the person who best demonstrates a devotion to duty and public service, and whose conduct and contributions exemplify the purpose of the Auxiliary Unit. This year, the honor was awarded to Shalimar Kufchak, who has been a member of the Auxiliary program since 2010.



During 2011, Kufchak distinguished herself by contributing over 500 hours in support of public safety with the Ocean City Police Department. Auxiliary Officer Kufchak assisted with many public safety functions, spending most of her time supporting the Services Section by answering phones at the front desk and assisting the property and evidence manager. In addition, Kufchak donated her time to participate in special events such as the Ocean City Police Department’s Annual Christmas Food andToy Drive and the Play It Safe program.

“The Auxiliary Officers are an invaluable asset to our department,” commented Chief Bernadette DiPino. “The nearly 3,000 hours in which they donated in 2011 not only benefited the men and women of the Ocean City Police Department, but their contribution to public safety impacted the Ocean City community as a whole. I commend Auxiliary Officer Kufchak for her dedication to our department and our community.”

Since its inception, the Auxiliary Officer Program has saved the Town of Ocean City nearly $1.5 million in service hours. In 2011, a total of 2,944.5 hours of service to the Ocean City Police Department was donated, bringing the total hours of service to over 45,000.