Officer Of The Year Awards

(WHBC) – The area’s top law enforcement officers of 2018 were honored during the Exchange Club of Canton’s Annual Crime Prevention Breakfast on Tuesday morning.

The Canton Police Department Officer of the Year Award was presented to Detective Joe Mongold, who’s been with the department for 23 years, the last six as a detective investigating sex abuse against children and human trafficking.

“After you have an encounter with that first victim, and you see their courage, I realized that God had put me in this position and I needed to give it everything I have.”

Detective Mongold (below) says he’s very humbled to receive the award and each of his colleagues is just as deserving.

“Anything that I’ve accomplished has been, either on the backs of, or walking with my brothers and sisters in the department. It truly is a team effort.”

The Stark County Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year Award went to Sergeant Thomas Cook, who has been with the sheriff’s office since 1997.

The Stark County Crime Prevention Citizen of the Year Award went to Alexandria Whitt, who rescued a baby from a sweltering car on Whipple Avenue after her parents overdosed.

Responding paramedics were able to revive the parents with Narcan.