Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:29 PM CDT
Pollum named first Officer of the Year by Exchange Club
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — While most people are sleeping, Police Officer Ken Pollum is on patrol.
Pollum’s service on the overnight shift, including a major burglary arrest in January 2007, led to him recently being honored with the Charleston Exchange Club’s first Officer of the Year award.
Most of Pollum’s nearly eight years with the department have been spent working overnight. Pollum said he likes that this shift gets a lot of calls for service that are “in progress.” He said the day shift often gets calls regarding incidents that occurred hours before during the night.
“It’s a lot easier to identify someone when they are still there,” Pollum said.
In January 2007, Pollum was working overnight when he responded to a series of burglaries at businesses and offices along Lincoln Avenue. He conducted a self-initiated field interview with a person in an area where several of the burglaries had occurred.
“His story did not match up. He said he was going home, but he was going the opposite direction,” Pollum said.
The Officer of the Year nominating letter reported that Pollum observed that the man’s shoes matched the impressions that had been collected from one of the burglary scenes. He was successful in obtaining a full confession.
The nominating letter reported the suspect was responsible for 12 burglaries from businesses and vehicles. These burglaries involved more than $400 in cash, $2,300 worth of computers, a knife, and $35,000-$50,000 worth of collector baseball cards.
Although this burglary arrest took place during the winter, Pollum said the overnight shift typically encounters more burglaries in the summer.
“We get a lot of burglaries at this time of year because more people are out on foot,” Pollum said. He explained that warm weather tends to bring potential burglars out to look for unlocked doors, whereas cold weather tends to keep them at home.
Since 2002, Pollum has served as a field training officer for the department. He also is a firearms instructor and recently joined the Coles County Crisis Response Team.
Pollum said the paperwork and documentation involved with field training can be tiresome, but the results are worth it. He said it is satisfying to see officers put to use the lessons they have been taught.
“We have to make sure we are training the officer right. We are trying to give the public the best service we can,” Pollum said. “We don’t want an officer just to get by. We want an officer to succeed.”
Police Chief Mark Jenkins, who is president of the Charleston Exchange Club, said the club decided to revive the Charleston Fraternal Order of Police’s practice of presenting an Officer of the Year award each year.
The chief said Pollum’s commitment to working overnights, his major burglary arrest, and his great aptitude at training other officers were all factors in him becoming the club’s first Officer of the Year.
“Kenny does a great job of training our young guys,” Jenkins said.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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