T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Bridgeport assistant police chief Darby Copeland says that he believes the entire police department is filled with dedicated, hardworking, selfless officers during the annual Bridgeport Police Department Award Ceremony.

BRIDGEPORT — The Bridgeport Police Department hosted its annual award ceremony at Bridgeport High School on Monday evening.

Assistant Police Chief Darby Copeland said that the annual event was created to recognize officers for going above and beyond, as well as for their courageous years of service.

“It’s an opportunity for us to really take a minute and recognize those who serve every day,” Copeland said. “We think that in today’s limelight, police officers are not always looked upon in a positive light, and Chief Bumba and I are very fortunate. We have an excellent cadre of officers who are doing good work out there each and every day.”

He added that the event is also an opportunity for the officers to bring their family and the community together to celebrate the work that the department does.

In addition to officers being honored, the department was also celebrating receiving an Ohio Collaborative Accreditation.

Only 16 departments in Ohio have ever received the accommodation, which is a 32-step process where the Ohio Criminal Justice Services looks at each and every aspect of the department’s operation and provides external validation that it is following the best practices in the law enforcement community.

“We’re very proud to certainly be the one in the first in this area but among the one of the first in the state,” Copeland said. “It was an invitation only opportunity and we were super excited to become accredited in November.”

Ohio Criminal Justice Services director Ed Burkhammer said that the accreditation program was created in 2024 to enhance transparency from law enforcement agencies.

He added that the Bridgeport Police Department voluntarily opened its doors and was thoroughly transparent throughout the entire process.

“Your Chief of Police voluntarily lets us come in and do a deep dive into your agency that I’m telling you right now, for the chief and the deputy chief, that is great leadership, and every company, agency, and everybody that runs a business around the world should be thinking like that,” Burkhammer said. “Anyone can say they’re great at being a police department but you said somebody needs to come in and check our work, and that’s what you let us do. Again, I respect you greatly for that, and I appreciate it.”

Police officer Alexander Elerick was awarded the “Extra Mile Award” presented by Copeland. Copeland said that Elerick truly embodies what the award means.

“Day after day, he demonstrates a high level of dedication that sets a standard for us all. He doesn’t simply meet the expectations of his role, he consistently surpasses them with determination, courage and unwavering commitment to his community and our profession,” Copeland said. “The extra mile award is reserved for an individual who gives of themselves in an exceptional way. It recognizes an individual who pours their full efforts into everything they do, whether it’s stepping up for a critical case or showing steady, reliable dedication to every single day, this award celebrates commitment that rises far above the ordinary.”

He added that Elerick arrives each day with a genuine drive to make the community a better place.

“He brings 100% to every shift, continually giving his best in every situation. He’s known for his outstanding productivity and his willingness to take on any challenge,” Copeland said. “He often makes personal sacrifices in the name of service and has earned the award this year not because of one extraordinary moment, but because of his consistent, hard work dedication and heartful commitment to serving others.”

He then presented officers Brenton Boston and William Timko the “Outstanding Commendation Award.”

The awards are given to officers who demonstrate heroism or service that goes above and beyond.

Copeland said that the selection of recipients becomes more difficult each year because the village has an incredible cadre of officers.

“I’m just so proud of the work that they do, day in and day out for such a small agency. It’s such a close knit group of guys who drop whatever they’re doing to help the other,” he said.

Copeland added that Boston and Timko were selected due to their unwavering dedication to not only the police department, but the community as a whole.

After he presented the pair with the “Outstanding Commendation Awards” he then said that this year will have a third “Outstanding Commendation Award.”

Officer Robert Ryan was presented his “Outstanding Commendation Award” because of his response to a dangerous call this past May.

Ryan responded to a call of Joseph Charles Berry allegedly firing a shot during a domestic dispute.

“This is a Sunday evening, which meant we had minimum staffing. We had one officer out that evening. The sheriff’s office was coming from various positions around the county. As officers arrived, our officer, with the first reporting deputy, moved in towards the aggressor, who was in possession of a firearm, despite orders from our officers to drop the weapon, the shooter refused and ultimately made an aggressive move towards Officer Ryan, which required him to discharge his weapon,” Copeland said. “Fortunately, the aggressor retreated into a garage and was not hit. After a standoff, the aggressor finally exited the garage and engaged in physical altercation with officers, ultimately resulting in him being taken into custody. What we saw that night was a clear demonstration of the outstanding courage, dedication, and teamwork that not only defines Officer Ryan, but also all of our officers.”