Washington police officers and community members were recognized for their heroic efforts during the police chief’s annual report to the city council Tuesday.

Chief Jim Lester gave a report on the department’s activities and calls in 2021, and gave his second annual Officer of the Year award to Sergeant Benjamin Altenhofen. Altenhofen has been with the department since December 2015 and has been responsible for the behind-the-scenes organization and development of the department’s seized and recovered evidence and property management program since their move to their new facility in 2020. Altenhofen also received a commendation along with Officer Ethan Hansen for their response to the home explosion that occurred on East Washington Street across from the United Presbyterian Home on January 4, 2021. Lester says they were working the overnight shift during the explosion, “They jumped right in, they took care of a teenager who was injured, passed him off to a citizen who’s also here that’ll be recognized later. And then went looking for an injured person that was in the rubble. There was fire around them, different parts of the rubble were on fire. The gentleman was pointed out by a couple UP Home staff where he was at. The officers moved in and assisted in getting that man out of the rubble and to an awaiting ambulance.”

Lester also gave his first-ever “Friend of Public Safety” awards to those who assisted the emergency responders during the explosion: Angie Bodkin, Faunne McCraken, Debbie Roberts, and Chad and Michelle Zear. In his report Lester saw that their violent crime numbers decreased in 2021 but overall crimes against persons did rise. He believes that can be attributed to continued stressors caused by the pandemic along with the successful work done in partnership with the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and the Rape Victim Advocacy Program.