Photo Provided St. Clairsville police Officer Greg Clark is shown with residents Don and Sandy Lemon. Clark, named Employee of the Month by the city, has been active in community outreach and officers in the department are going the extra mile to safeguard residents.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The city police force has been going above and beyond the call of duty with outreach and assistance to the community as well as investigative work and arrests, and council recognized officers’ dedication Monday.

Officer Greg Clark was named the city’s first Employee of the Month. Safety and Service Director Jeremy Greenwood put Clark’s name forward, citing the officer’s work with organizations such as food banks, senior citizens and youth.

Clark has been a member of the St. Clairsville police force since 2012 and has been active in law enforcement since 1992. He is also a Richland Township trustee.

Police Chief Matt Arbenz congratulated Clark, adding that Clark also coordinates with Adult Protective Services, utility departments and businesses with the goal of helping residents in need. He also has personally delivered food from the food banks.

“Most recently, he was able to get an elderly citizen moved into Beacon House (at Forest Hill) having determined her living situation ‘untenable,'” Arbenz said.

Clark also will be counseling some area youths.

Afterward, Clark noted law enforcement officers can go beyond their standard duties and take a proactive role in addressing needs and interacting with the public.

Clark added it is particularly important during this time of COVID-related isolation to stay in touch with vulnerable members of the community.

“Making sure with all the schemes going on, to make sure they’re all right, that they know they can reach out to us, to check on them if they need it. If they need medicine, we’ll pick it up,” he said.

He added this is true of both older and younger residents.

“Everybody’s got some problems. I stop and talk to them, listen to them, I let them talk … and give them some advice,” Clark said. “It’s caring about the people. Police work has many duties. … I’m here to protect you, but I also want to be your friend.”

Anyone in need of assistance or with concerns about another is asked to call the police department at 740-695-0123. The city contact site is stclairsville.com/contact-us/.

The council also heard reports of other law enforcement activity.

“Our police department has been very, very active,” Greenwood said.

Arbenz reported other recent work by law enforcement. This included recovering a stolen vehicle, completing a drug investigation and the seizure of methamphetamines from a suspected trafficker, and other drug-related arrests.

“In the last two weeks, the department has been extremely busy,” he said.

Arbenz said he has also been working with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms National Integrated Ballistic Information program.

“We taken several weapons off of people in criminal stops,” Arbenz said. “We’ll be able to test-fire these weapons and send the casings in. They are placed in a databank … if any crime scenes in the past … link up with the brass casings of the weapons that we’re recovering from our criminal cases, it’ll create a lead and a tie-in to better solve these cases.”

The tracing program will also determine where the firearms were originally purchased, which would assist in identifying “straw purchasers” for convicted felons.

Greenwood also commended Patrolman Kevin Yates, the city’s newest officer, who recently performed lifesaving CPR on someone until responders from the Cumberland Trail Fire District could arrive on scene.

“That was an essential life-saving technique,” Arbenz said.

“I think our police department, as everybody knows, is a great asset to the city,” Councilman Mike Smith said, adding the police often go beyond the call of duty. “You just don’t get to hear about them.”

The other council members agreed.