Yakima Police Officer Jeff Ely was named the Yakima Police Department’s Officer of the Year for 2015. He received the award at a special ceremony on March 22nd, 2016 at the Yakima Convention Center. Officer Ely, who has been with the department since 2007, was selected over fellow Officer of the Year nominees Eric Hampton and Michael Durbin. Detectives Durbin and Hampton received the Yakima Police Department’s Certificate of Excellence Award. The SWAT team received the Certificate of Merit for its response to a dangerous situation in January of 2014. The SWAT team and Blue Team “B,” “C” and “D” Squads were also awarded the Certificate of Merit for their actions in safely resolving a hostage situation in November of 2014. Officers Ely, Mark Williams, Thomas Tovar, Brad Althauser, Garret Walk, Scott Gronewald, Tarin Miller, Phillip Amici, and Corrections Officers Mark Dole and Jeff Nelson received various awards. Also at the awards ceremony, 11 officers received the F.B.I. LEEDA Trilogy Award, for completion of the F.B.I. Law Enforcement Executive Development Association training.
