Police department recognizes top officers, civilians

PLANO -- Some of the Plano Police Department's finest were honored Friday night at the department's 37th Annual Awards Banquet. The honorees included a 26-year veteran, as well as a 2007 graduate of Plano East.

The men and women recognized helped make Plano's neighborhoods safer and a more enjoyable place to live and work, said Officer David Tilley. In all, five officers received yearly awards, while four others received the medal of valor and three received lifesaving awards.

The 2011 Officer of the Year was Aaron Benzick, who joined Plano PD a decade ago and currently serves as a neighborhood police officer in the Legacy Town Center.

"I grew up in a military family and my dad is retired from the Air Force," Benzick said. "After high school I did a lot of computer work and got tired of sitting behind a desk. I wanted to do something in the real world. I still love coming to work everyday."

Sgt. Lindy Privett was selected as the Sworn Supervisor of the Year. A 26-year veteran, Privett served in Dallas, Carrollton and Cook County before coming to Plano 17 years ago. He said this is the best place to work, and he was honored and humbled to be recognized by his fellow officers.

"I was surprised because I felt like the other two guys really deserved it," said Privett, who works in the department's crime prevention and warrant units and also supervises the police explorer unit. "I was basically ready to clap for them."

The department also recognized its top rookie officer. This year's winner was Erik Ahrens, who was not born when Sgt. Privett began his career as a police officer. Ahrens, 24, comes from a law enforcement family and said becoming a police officer seemed to be the natural thing to do after graduating from the University of Arkansas.

"Being a police officer has been 100 times better than I thought it would be," said Ahrens, who became a full-fledged officer in December 2010. "I had a good idea what it was going to be like coming into it thanks to my parents, but they both worked in smaller departments. So coming to a bigger department with more resources has been great. I can't think of any negatives at all."

Ahrens said he feels great after working each day, knowing he has helped make his community safer. He said he was surprised when he won and said the other two nominees were very deserving.

While police officers are what most people think of when they think about a police department, 244 of the department's 585 full- and part-time employees are civilians. These civilians perform a variety of tasks, ranging from analyzing crime scenes to writing handicap parking tickets. Among the civilians employed by Plano PD is Nathan Drambareanu, who was recognized as the Civilian of the Year.

Drambareanu, a 2007 East graduate, didn't grow up dreaming of being in American law enforcement. He was born in Romania and lived there until 1999 when he moved to the United States after his father was transferred. After settling in Plano, Drambareanu became involved with the Plano Police Explorer Program and won three state titles and one national title. He currently works as a public safety officer with the department, a position he has held for three years.

"I am still in the process of finishing up school to be a sworn officer here in Plano," said Drambareanu, whose sister also works for Plano PD. "Public safety officers assist on accidents, traffic hazards, thefts and criminal mischief -- basically anything that doesn't require a sworn officer to be there."

The final civilian recognized was Dan Chesnut, who was honored as the Civilian Supervisor of the Year. Chesnut has worked at the Plano Jail as a detention officer for 22 years and said his job is still as rewarding today as it was when he first started.

"I wouldn't have been here for 22 years if I didn't think it was a great job and a rewarding job," Chesnut said. "I love to come to work everyday, which is why I keep getting emails from the chief's office about vacation time."

The department also recognized six employees for action taken during the last year. The medal of valor was presented to four officers: Sgt. Pat Clark, Sgt. Dominic Saleh, Officer Susan Baumert and Officer Ben Thurmond.

Tilley said the award is given to officers who go above and beyond the call of duty, and risk their lives to save others. Clark, Baumert and Thurmond were honored for their work during a hostage situation in August 2011. After two bank robbers took a family hostage, the officers entered the home without the assistance of a SWAT team because they felt the family was in immediate danger, Tilley said. None of the family members were seriously injured, and both robbers were apprehended.

Saleh received the award for his role in a domestic disturbance call in August 2011. After officers responded to the call, the knife-wielding suspect charged officers. Saleh shot the suspect, thereby saving his fellow officers, Tilley said. The suspect survived and is awaiting trial on multiple felonies.

Three employees also received the lifesaving award. Jenny Fry, a civilian who works in the property department, pulled her neighbor out of a burning house, while Officer Shane Pace saved the life of a man who stopped breathing while aboard a DART bus. The final award was given to Officer Sean White, who prevented a woman from attempting suicide after she had climbed onto an overpass spanning U.S. 75.

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