“My officers do so much in the community, and are being recognized for their efforts, and I could not be more proud of them,” said St. Clair Township Chief of Police Brian McKenzie.

The department has been named the Agency of the Month for August by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police as part of the “Sharing Ohio’s Best” program. The program, which was founded in 2019 aims to bring awareness to the amazing work that law enforcement agencies do all over Ohio to promote positive policing.

Submissions from agencies across the state are compiled by the Community Relations and Engagement Committee each month. One is selected to be recognized for outstanding community involvement. The committee’s evaluation focuses on the creativity and positive impact of the submitted programs in their community, with recently recognized programs including a teen driving course, programs to help the disabled, and programs focusing on community safety.

The department has conducted over a dozen programs to benefit the community this year including a T-shirt sale to raise funds for a local bus driver with cancer; the ever-popular trunk or treat; a toy drive; and the viral “Grinch Chronicles.”

Photo courtesy St. Clair Township Chief of Police Brian McKenzie Lodge 210 of the Fraternal Order of Police were presented with a beautiful plaque in the shape of the state of Ohio.

“We congratulate the St. Clair Township Police for being recognized as our August 2022 Agency of the Month for the Sharing Ohio’s Best program! Chief McKenzie and his staff work year-round to share their talents to better serve their community with a positive community policing strategy. Their creativity is clearly on display with the work they have demonstrated in their submission. Congratulations St. Clair Township Police” said the Community Relations and Engagement Committee on their selection of the department.

The department’s Lodge 210 of the Fraternal Order of Police has also been recognized by the state of Ohio’s Fraternal Order of Police as lodge of the year. Each of the 174 local lodges in the state are eligible for consideration, with the winner announced at the annual convention. The selection must be considered even more impressive as many lodges in the state of Ohio have over 100 sworn officers and massive programs, and Lodge 210 only has 15 sworn officers.

“I was extremely honored the state order would select us over all the others,” McKenzie said.

Representatives of Lodge 210 attended the annual conference. They were presented with a beautiful plaque in the shape of the state to commemorate their selection.