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SAVANNAH, GA (July 23, 2018) – Four Savannah Police employees were awarded today by the Exchange Club of Savannah during its annual awards ceremony and luncheon held at Cary Hilliard’s.
The Exchange Club of Savannah, along with sponsor Dan Vaden Chevrolet, presented awards for Officer of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Detective of the Year and Civilian of the Year. The recipients were voted on by their colleagues.
“We are tremendously proud of the Exchange Club recipients,” said Assistant Chief Robert Gavin. “They consistently go above and beyond the call of duty and are assets to this community and our agency.”
Officer of the Year: Amanda Brooner
Amanda Brooner always knew she wanted to be an officer, but until she was old enough to join the police force, she worked as a dispatcher. She later began the Missouri Sheriff’s Training Academy, which she completed just prior to turning 21. In 2016, she moved to Savannah with hopes of joining the Savannah Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit. She spent much of her downtime at the SPD barn volunteering. In January 2018, she was transferred to the mounted unit.
“She will do anything that’s asked of her and always goes above and beyond,” said Sgt. Gene Lawhorn, of Mounted Patrol. “Amanda is always eager to learn and always striving to be better. You just can’t say enough good things about Amanda.”
Supervisor of the Year: Sgt. Bryan Gerber
Sgt. Bryan Gerber enlisted in the Army following high school graduation in Wisconsin. In 1990 after leaving the Army, he joined the Savannah Police Department. Sgt. Gerber has served in the patrol division, by choice, throughout his career at SPD. He currently serves as the Central Precinct Bravo Watch Sergeant.
“Bryan does everything a supervisor should do,” said Capt. Ben Herron, Central Precinct Commander. “He’s attentive, knows his troops, has a good follow-through and understands the importance of his job. He is a mentor to all lower ranking officers in his precinct.”
Detective of the Year: Cpl. Michael Kerr
Cpl. Michael Kerr was born and raised in Jamaica. After moving to New York, he joined the Army and served for eight years. He became an SPD officer in 2001. In his 15-plus years at the agency, he has worked in patrol, mounted patrol and criminal investigations. He was recently transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division after serving as a detective at Central Precinct.
“Detective Kerr was an exemplary detective,” said Capt. Ben Herron, Central Precinct Commander. “He worked a lot of domestic cases at Central Precinct and was always attentive to his victims and a true victim advocate. He worked with them to make sure they could find closure and acceptance in their cases.”
Civilian of the Year: Chaplain Charles Roberson
Chaplain Charles Roberson Sr. is a Savannah native and currently serves as the senior pastor at Kingdom Life Christian Fellowship. Chaplain Roberson also serves as the Savannah Police Chaplain Coordinator, overseeing a team of seven chaplains.
“It’s truly a blessing to work with someone who goes above and beyond the duties of a position to show their commitment and love for the community and this agency,” said Assistant Chief Kerry Thomas. “Chaplain Roberson’s love for God shows through his committed work with the community and his relentless coordination of chaplain services and outreach to the officers of this agency. These are only a few of the reason why he is so deserving of this recognition and award.”
Honorable Mention:
Four Savannah Police Department employees were also recognizes as Honorable Mention in the 2018 awards ceremony.
Officer of the Year: Officer Justin Jenkins
Supervisor of the Year: Sgt. Cameron Kovach
Detective of the Year: Sgt. Kelvin Ansari
Civilian of the Year: Leslie Dunn
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