Two Officers Honored by American Legion, Knights of Columbus

OCEAN CITY, MD – Two Ocean City police officers were recently honored by the American Legion Post 166 and Ocean City Knights of Columbus. Police Officer First Class (Pfc.) Michael Valerio received the Officer of the Year award from the American Legion and Pfc. Nathan Kutz received the similar honor from the Knights of Columbus. Both officers are members of the Ocean City Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit and were recently finalists for the Neighborhood Watch Officer of the Year.

“Pfc. Valerio and Pfc. Kutz are both very driven, ambitious officers who are dedicated to the safety of our roadways,” commented Chief Ross Buzzuro. “They are both exemplary officers that are very deserving of these awards.”

Pfc. Valerio joined the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) as a seasonal public safety aide in 2007. He returned in 2008 as a seasonal police officer and worked each summer until being hired as a full-time police officer in 2012. Pfc. Valerio joined the Traffic Safety Unit in the fall of 2013 and since then, has obtained training in on-scene traffic crash/traffic homicide investigations, advanced traffic crash investigations and crash reconstruction. Pfc. Valerio is also a certified drug recognition expert trained to recognize impairment in drivers who are under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol.

Pfc. Kutz joined the OCPD as a seasonal police officer in 2009 and later was hired as a full-time police officer in 2012. He joined the Traffic Safety Unit in 2012 and has advanced training in traffic crash investigations, drug and alcohol impaired driving investigations and breath test instruments. In 2015, Pfc. Kutz made 1,722 traffic stops and 160 arrests; 90 of which were DUI arrests. In 2014, Pfc. Kutz earned the Officer of the Year award from the American Legion.