Department Awards
The men and women of the Arlington Police Department strive to provide excellent police service every day. This
organization is one of the most respected law enforcement agencies in the world with a huge international footprint.
Building upon our past successes with community policing, APD is committed to a geographic-policing philosophy
that proactively addresses crime and the fear of crime through a shared relationship with our community and beat
officers in neighborhoods. Here are just a few of the noteworthy accomplishments and department-level awards for
2013. Together we are all making Arlington the safest place to work, play and raise a family.
2013 Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award
Police Chief Will D. Johnson was presented the 2013
Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award from the Police Executive
Research Forum based upon his proven leadership skills,
commitment to the policing profession, and his noble
character that has earned the respect of officers and
professional staff throughout the department.
2013 Star of Texas Award
The Star of Texas Award honors first responders who are
seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. Officer Toby
Douglass was
presented the
prestigious Star
of Texas Award
from Governor
Rick Perry based
upon receiving
critical injuries
sustained in
a crash while
performing
his duties as a
motorcycle officer. Officer Craig Story also received the
Star of Texas Award posthumously based upon a tragic
crash he was involved in while on duty.
NTOA Unit Citation for Valor
In 2013, the APD
Tactical Unit was
awarded the National
Tactical Officers
Association Unit
Citation for Valor for
a hostage rescue that
resulted in Officer Brian
Graham being critically
injured with a gunshot
8
wound to the head. This honor is bestowed upon officers
who demonstrate courage and heroism based upon a
unit’s actions during a tactical operation.
National Night Out
For the second consecutive year,
the City of Arlington ranked 5th
in the nation among cities with a
population greater than 300,000 by
the National Association of Town
Watch. Arlington hosted more
than 140 parties throughout the
community to get to know their neighbors.
2013 Partner in Courage Award
Detective Garth
Savage was
the recipient of
the Alliance for
Children’s Partner
in Courage Award
from Children
Advocacy Centers
of Texas, Inc.
This honor was
bestowed onto him based upon his commitment to
serving child abuse victims. Detective Savage goes above
and beyond to protect our precious children and has
dedicated much of his career seeking justice for children
in crisis.
Social Media Leadership Award
Lt. Christopher Cook was presented with the
2013 Social Media Leadership Award from
Connected Cops based upon his proven track
record of innovation and commitment in leading
one of the top departments in the country in
connecting with citizens through social media.