Officers honored by Order of Eagles
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By LAURA CHAPMAN / Lincoln Journal Star
Four Nebraska law enforcement officers were given Law Enforcement Officer of the Year awards from the Fraternal Order of Eagles Sunday night.
The officers were nominated and selected from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln Police Department and Lincoln Fire and Rescue.
This year’s winners are: Lancaster County Deputy Sheriff Joseph W. Gehr, Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Rob Pelster, Lincoln Police Department Sgt. Michael Bassett and Lincoln Fire and Rescue Capt. William Thavenet.
Thavenet has been a Lincoln firefighter for eight years and has received various awards from other community organizations, Fire Chief Niles Ford wrote in a nomination letter.
Thavenet also has been involved in the department’s dive rescue team and, Ford wrote, consistently looks out for the safety of himself and others.
“He consistently works at self improvement and improving our work environment,” Ford wrote.
Accepting his award, Thavenet said fellow firefighters were also deserving of the award because of the teamwork the job requires.
“No individual can do it by themselves,” he said.
Pelster started with the Nebraska State Patrol at Grand Island in 2000 and moved to the Lincoln area in 2005, according to a nomination letter from patrol Col. Bryan Tuma.
“I’m just doing my job,” Pelster said, “and getting a reward for it.”
In his service, Tuma wrote, Pelster has been involved in the arrests and prosecution of various felony drug cases, including seizing the largest amount of ICE, a highly concentrated form of methamphetamine.
“His dedication to law enforcement and his support of our agency is exceptional,” Tuma wrote.
Bassett, a 27-year veteran of the Lincoln Police Department, serves as the night shift supervisor of the southwest team, according to a nomination letter from Police Chief Tom Casady.
In summer 2007, Bassett helped coordinate the investigation into Lincoln prostitution, leading to more than 75 arrests, the letter stated.
“Mike (Bassett) leads from the front and would not ask an officer to do anything that he would not be willing to do himself,” Casady wrote.
Bassett, who completed a master’s degree in secondary education in December, said he appreciated the work atmosphere Casady created and said it allows people to be comfortable enough to come up with new ideas for law enforcement.
Bassett said getting the award gave him a chance to think about “how proud I feel in working with the police department.”
Gehr, who was unable to attend Sunday’s ceremony, is an 18-year veteran of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, serving 15 years in the patrol division and three years in court security, according to a nomination letter from Sheriff Terry Wagner.
Gehr also has worked in the School Resource Officer program, which was created for the 2006-2007 school year, and helped secure funding to add an additional officer to the program.
“Deputy Joe Gehr’s dedication to the law enforcement profession, commitment to excellence and compassion for the citizens we serve makes him very deserving,” Wagner wrote in his letter.
Wagner accepted Gehr’s award on his behalf and also commented on the similarity between the four men being honored — that they all went beyond what was expected of them in their duties, which made them all deserving of their awards.
“It really is a tribute to all of them.”
Reach Laura Chapman at lchapman@journalstar.com.
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hattie wrote on March 10, 2008 9:31 am: