Warren Police Department’s ‘Commissioner’s Awards’ honors four employees

WARREN — The Warren Police Department’s first-ever Commissioner’s Awards Ceremony recently honored the department’s top employees.

At the March 27 ceremony, Commissioner Eric Hawkins recognized four members of the department with Command Officer of the Year, Officer of the Year, Dispatcher of the Year and Employee of the Year.

“This ceremony that we have today, and the badge we bear in the roles we occupy, represent a safer commitment to the public trust,” Hawkins said. “However, the individuals we honor today have done more than simply uphold that commitment. They have exceeded it.”

The awards are to celebrate officers and employees who not only meet the department’s standard but define it, he said.

In establishing the awards, the objective wasn’t just to highlight a single event or act of strong performance, he said, so instead they looked at each officer’s contributions to the department over an entire calendar year.

“We conducted a rigorous deep dive into the totality of an individual’s contributions, their consistency, their permanency of impact and their dedication over an entire year,” he said. “We sought out pillars of our department.”

Hawkins said the ceremony will become a new tradition for the department.

Five officers were being considered for Command Officer of the Year. In the end, the honor was awarded to Lt. Brandon Roy.

Roy was hired as an officer on Aug. 18, 2008. Since then, he has moved up the ranks and was promoted to lieutenant on Feb. 21, 2025. He’s worked in a number of units in the department, including road patrol, the Special Response Team, criminal intelligence, Special Investigations Division, and most recently, the Technology and Innovation Division.

“I’m truly honored and humbled to accept this recognition and be named Command Officer of the Year in a department like the Warren Police Department,” he said. “It means more to me than I can fully express.”

Roy said the department is full of talented and dedicated professionals who give their best to the job.

“What makes this department exceptional is not just the level of talent, it’s the culture,” he said. “We collaborate, we challenge one another, we step up for one another, and that’s what defines the Warren PD.”

Additionally, five officers were considered for Officer of the Year. The honor was awarded to Corp. Nicholas Lienemann.

Lienemann was hired by the department on June 4, 2012, and was promoted to corporal on Oct. 7, 2022. He has served as a school resource officer and has worked in multiple units, including the Special Investigations Division, Special Victims Unit, Special Response Team and crisis negotiation. He currently is a range master corporal in the Training Division.

“I’m truly honored and humbled to receive this award, but honestly, this recommendation belongs to the people that I have the privilege to work with every day,” he said.

Lienemann said he couldn’t ask for a better group of professionals to work with.

The department also recognized and celebrated several employees who served in professional and support roles. Austin Roman was awarded Dispatcher of the Year, and office coordinator Jill Finch was given the Civilian Employee of the Year award.

Roman was hired by the department as a dispatcher on May 12, 2025. Finch was hired by the department as a clerk typist on Aug. 2, 1985.

Roman said he was honored to receive the award, and that the job demands resilience, dedication, perseverance and a commitment to showing up and giving your best regardless of the situation.

Finch said the department has been a huge part of her life.

“It’s overwhelming, honestly, but much appreciated. It’s a great group of people to work with,” she said. “Obviously, I like it. I’ve been here forever.”

Hawkins closed the ceremony by saying the recipients are great examples of what it means to be a part of the Warren Police Department.

“You represent the very best of us, and your dedication is a testament to why we chose this honorable profession,” he said.