ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER
The Annual Awards Dinner recognizes and honors law enforcement officers, criminal justice professionals and citizens who have gone the extra mile to make a difference in our community through preventing and fighting crime.
70TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER
Thursday, March 7
5:30 P.M.
Mark Arts
The 2024 Annual Awards Ceremony was one of our best yet! With over 325 attendees, we celebrated 8 individuals who have deeply impacted Wichita and surrounding communities. In addition to the awards ceremony, a live auction was hosted with exclusive prizes including a dinner with KBI Director Tony Mattivi, Beachfront vacations, and a dinner with DA Marc Bennett. All proceeds help fund Wichita Metro Crime Commission initiatives including L.A.W. Camp for local youth, Crime Stoppers of Sedgwick County, One Pill Can Kill campaign, aimed at fighting Phentanyl, and so much more.
A heartfelt thank you to our donors and those who were able to support this year's event. Thank you for setting 2024 up for success!
We owe a gratitude of thanks to each of the individuals below. Their personal sacrifices, dedication and commitment to keeping Wichita and the surrounding communities safe and thriving is unparalleled. Whether through youth outreach programs or partnerships with other law enforcement to create safer, drug free communities, these individuals have gone above-and-beyond their call of duty.
Award Winners
Willard Garvey Crime Prevention Officer of the Year
Wichita Police Department Officer Jerod Metcalf
William Garvey Citizen Activist of the Year
Dr. William Polite, Jr.
Wichita Public Schools Executive Director of Equity and Accountability
Hero Award
Sponsored by Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL)
Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy Clinton Harris
Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy Nathan Kingery
Humanitarian Award
Sponsored in Honor of Thornton E. Anderson
Wichita Police Department Community Service Officer Nicholas P. Bushell
Excellence in Community Engagement Award
Sponsored by VitalCore
Wichita Police Department Officer Chad Ditch
Wichita Police Department Officer Jorge Avendano
Law Enforcement Officer of the Year
Sponsored by Bob & Donna Aldrich, Jenco, LLC
Detective Adam Van Der Molen – Wichita Police Department
Criminal Justice Professional of the Year Award
Sponsored by Gary Decker, Wealth Alliance Advisory Group, LLC
Chief Attorney Robert R. Short, Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office
12 Apostles of Justice Award
Crime Commission Past President Jeff Geoffroy
Many thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mel Hambelton Ford and all the award sponsors for supporting our Annual Awards Dinner.
