NAPO ANNOUNCES FIFTH ANNUAL TOP COPS AWARDS® WINNERS HONORING AMERICA'S FINEST
 
Today, the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) announced the winners of the Fifth Annual TOP COPS Awards® ceremony to be held in Washington, DC on October 8, 1998.  The Masters of Ceremony for the prestigious event are Richard Belzer of NBC's "Homicide:  Life on the Street" and Lynne Russell of CNN's "Headline News."  Barring any schedule changes, also in attendance will be:  S. Epatha Merkerson, of NBC's "Law & Order," Ed Marinaro of "Hill Street Blues,” and Charley Casserly, General Manager, Washington Redskins.  Many other television celebrities are still confirming.  Also present will be Administrator Tom Constantine, Drug Enforcement Administration and several members of Congress.

The TOP COPS Awards® pay tribute to law enforcement officers from across the country for outstanding service to their communities during the preceding year.   The TOP COPS® were nominated by fellow officers and selected from hundreds of nominations by an Awards Committee.  Officers from the top ten cases have been chosen as the 1998 NAPO TOP COPS®.  In each remaining state, one case has been selected, and that officer(s) will receive an Honorable Mention award.

"Each and every day law enforcement officers do their job, protecting the citizens of our nation, yet not enough people recognize them as the true heroes that they are. The TOP COPS Awards® celebrate the men and women who have acted above and beyond the call of duty," stated Robert T. Scully, NAPO Executive Director.

NAPO, a national law enforcement group, represents more than 220,000 sworn law enforcement officers from 4,000 police associations and unions across the country.  Based in Washington, DC, NAPO fights for the rights of law enforcement officers through federal legislation, legal advocacy and education.  TOP COPS Awards®  proceeds will benefit the Police Research and Education Project, NAPO's sister, educational organization, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Concerns of Police Survivors.
 

• WHAT: Fifth Annual TOP COPS Awards
• WHEN: October 8, 1998, Event: 7:00 p.m., Call to schedule interview with individual TOP COP®
• WHERE: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC

• ARKANSAS,Trooper First Class Ted Grigson, Arkansas State Police
• CALIFORNIA, Officer Don Anderson, Detective Vincent Bancroft, Jr., Officer Edward Brentlinger, Officer John Caprarelli, Sergeant Steven Gomez, Detective Kevin A. Harley, Officer Richard A. Massa, Officer Dean R. Schram, Officer Conrado Torrez and Officer Richard Zielinski, Los Angeles Police Department
• FLORIDA, K-9 Officer Malcom Thompson, Kissimmee Police Department
• INDIANA, Sergeant Dawn Higgins, Indianapolis Police Department
• NEW HAMPSHIRE, Trooper First Class Charles M. West, New Hampshire State Police
• NEW YORK, Officer Joseph Dolan, Sergeant John A. English, Jr., Officer Michael F. Keenan, Officer David Martinez, Lieutenant Owen C. McCaffrey, Deputy Inspector Raymond McDermott, Captain Ralph Pascullo, Officer Mario Zorovic, New York City Police Department
• UTAH, Sergeant Jim Potter, Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office
• WASHINGTON, D.C./MARYLAND/VIRGINIA, (DEA Group Task Force)  Assistant Special Agent in Charge Frank J. Chellino, Detective Sergeant Thomas P. Coppinger, Group Supervisor Timothy L. Estep, Detective Gary Gibson, Corporal Michael Grant, Detective Joseph Marchi, Corporal Jason Merson, Detective Thomas J. Wise and a Special Agent from the DEA whose name cannot be released.
• WEST VIRGINIA, Sergeant Michael E. Spradlin, West Virginia State Police
• WISCONSIN, Officer Timothy G. Hahn, Madison Police Department