A Great Idea!

I think this is a wonderful idea! Way to go Detective Fickes!!


Prosecutor picks Liverpool officer as first award recipient
By MARY ANN GREIER
POSTED: November 3, 2009

LISBON - Veteran East Liverpool police officer Det. Don Fickes received some attention he wasn't expecting Monday - a plaque recognizing his excellence in the line of duty from Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron.

Herron praised his work ethic and said he was a natural choice for the first Outstanding Law Enforcement Office Award, although a modest Fickes said he was "just shocked" and gave all the credit to his co-workers.

"You're only as good as the guys you work with. Right now we have an excellent crew, guys who know how to preserve the evidence," he said.

He specifically pointed out the excellence of his fellow detective, Darin Morgan, saying they keep each other in check and balanced.He also acknowledged a strong working relationship with the prosecutor's office.

"Year in and year out, Don's a guy who knows what to do, goes out and does it and gets the job done," Herron said, adding he's committed to his community, to making it a safe place to live.

Too often, he said they're always hearing about the problems and incidents where there's a lack of evidence or problems with investigations.

"In all that, we've lost the fact that there are a lot of police officers that do excellent work, that are committed to doing good work and are committed to their community," Herron said.

He explained that his office will begin recognizing good police work with the outstanding officer award, honoring different police officers who have demonstrated in their career the commitment to do excellent work.

The first award was presented during a prosecutor's workshop for local police officers held at the Emergency Management Agency building in Lisbon.

Herron said they try to get together on an annual basis to offer officers information on search and seizure, the taking of statements, testifying in court and other fundamental issues for law enforcement. He said they like the face-to-face contact, giving officers a chance to ask questions and receive answers.

The workshop gives them a better idea of what the prosecutor's office expects and what the law allows them to do.

At one of the sessions Monday, a representative of the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, which handles analysis of evidence from crime scenes, talked about identity theft. Herron said officers were eligible to receive continuing education credits for attending. More than 60 area officers attended.

Fickes joined the East Liverpool Police Department in 1981 and was named detective in 1990. He resides in East Liverpool with his wife, Debbie Callen-Fickes, and has two daughters, Nicole and Jennifer.

mgreier@salemnews.net