SD Police Chiefs and Sheriffs recognize Outstanding officers and community support

The South Dakota Police Chiefs’ and South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association presented several awards to recognize heroism and support at the joint spring training held in Deadwood on April 11-13.

Officer Of The Year

Seth Bonnema, City of Brookings Police Department Officer Seth Bonnema with the Brookings Police Department was selected as South Dakota Officer of the Year.

Officer Bonnema received the award in recognition of his exceptional achievements in traffic safety, DUI arrests, drug control, and drug prevention, as well as his reliability and mentorship to the Brookings Police Department.

One of his most recent achievements took place on Sept. 25, 2022, during a traffic stop just off of I-29 in Brookings. With the assistance of his K-9 partner Gina, they were able to confiscate 32 pounds of methamphetamine and 1 pound of fentanyl.

Officer Bonnema is a tremendous asset to the community of Brookings and the State of South Dakota in his pursuit to remove illegal narcotics from our state and communities.

Chief John Wainman Sr Service Award

Travis Asmus, City of Brookings Police Department Officer Travis Asmus with the Brookings Police Department received the Chief John Wainman, Sr. Service Award.

This award is given by the SD Police Chiefs Association and recognizes contributions that exceed the high standards and contributions normally made by members of the South Dakota Police Chiefs' Association.

Officer Asmus embodies those qualities – he is always working on a program which he either inherited or started himself within his community. His involvement the Citizens First Responder Academy, Drug Court, National Night Out, as well as other community policing activities, earned him this prestigious award.

The Citizens Police Academy is a 12-week program that helps community members and law enforcement build trust within their community by offering a new perspective they might not otherwise have seen.

The Brookings County Drug Court program helps foster relationships with offenders, judges, attorneys, and court officers. The program is very intensive - not just for the participants - but also for support personnel as well. Officers Asmus often goes to the meetings with very little sleep or missing out on time with his family so he can ensure the program continues to be a success.

The widely attended National Night Out Program gives first responders throughout the Brookings area an opportunity to interact and enjoy time with the public in a non-enforcement situation.

Officer Asmus not only works hard on community policing but also excels in his patrol duties. His commitment to fostering community partnerships and relationships, as well as enforcing the law, earned him the award.

Medal Of Honor

Kasey Kurtz, Brown County Sheriff’s Office

Brown County Deputy Kasey Kurtz was awarded the Medal of Honor by the South Dakota Sheriff’s Association and the South Dakota’s Police Chief’s Association.

The Medal of Honor is awarded to law enforcement officers who willingly distinguish themselves through an act of courage, involving a risk of imminent serious injury or death, for the purpose of saving or protecting a human life.

On July 22nd, 2022, Deputy Kurtz was dispatched to a call for service involving a juvenile who had accidentally fallen into a river and the current pulled her downstream. She could not swim and the only thing keeping her from drowning was  holding onto a large branch that was submerged in the water.  Upon arriving on scene, Deputy Kurtz did not hesitate to  immediately jump into the river and swim out to the juvenile.  He gave her his own life jacket and swam her back to shore.

Due to his swift and selfl ess response, the juvenile survived the  drowning incident unharmed. Deputy Kurtz is an outstanding  deputy who characterizes the value of service before self.

Citizens Award Of Merit

County Fair Foods, Watertown

The Citizens Award of Merit  award was given to County  Fair Foods of Watertown to  recognize their longstanding  partnership with the Watertown  Police Department.

Citizens Award of Merit Recipients  Lacey and Chris Gamber of  County Fair Foods (second and  third from left) with Watertown  Police Chief Tim Toomey (far  left) and Assistant Chief Ryan  Remmers (far right)

Chris and Laycee Gamber  accepted the award on behalf  of County Fair Foods.

Last summer the grocery store unveiled a new communitybased program called "To Protect and Serve Ice Cream,"  which involved Watertown Police Department offi  cers giving  free ice cream treats to children at community gatherings. The  program was a huge success, with offi  cers giving away as  many as 400 treats at about a dozen events held last summer.  County Fair Foods provided the ice cream treats at no cost  for the fi rst event, and then at a very reduced cost for the  numerous additional events. However, the sheer quantity of  ice cream treats needed for each event meant that acquiring  and storing the ice cream was logistically challenging. The  staff at County Fair Foods stepped up and ensured the  offi  cers always had enough ice cream treats available, and  they kept the treats in their freezer until they were needed. County Fair Foods and its staff have been a great partner  to the Watertown Police Department in many ways over the  years. In 2022, they truly went above and beyond to ensure  that smiles were put on the faces of many children in their  community. ■