North Egypt News

The Mount Vernon City Council honored members of the city's police department during the council's Jan. 17 meeting, including police officer Zachary Jines, who was named Mount Vernon Officer of the Year.

Police Chief Trent Page spoke at the meeting, and said the department accepts nominations from its shift commanders each year for the award – which exemplifies what it means to serve and protect the community – and supervisors choose the winner based on the nominees. The five officers nominated for 2022 were officers Remington Paris, Tyler Norris, Brylan Morlan, Zachary Fitzgerald and Jines. 

Jines was nominated by two different shift commanders, Page explained. The commanders who nominate an officer will give one or two reasons why they chose that particular officer for nomination. Jines, Page said, didn’t have one or two things, he was outstanding in all regards.

"Officer Jines does it all," he said. "He excels in every area. So it's very difficult to sit here and try to point to one area that he's really good at. He's a very proactive officer. He's been with us just a few years now, but he is mature beyond his years as a police officer and as a person."

According to the Mount Vernon Police website, some of the essential areas of an officer's job that go into the award are outstanding contribution in the area of assignment, exceptional knowledge and ability to complete job functions, overall productivity, civic contributions, as well as professional appearance and demeanor. Everyone spoke highly of Jines and thanked him for all the work he has done, and Jines thanked the city for the award.

Page reiterated how great an asset Jines is. "And we're just extremely fortunate to have someone of his ability demeanor in the city of Mount Vernon," he said.