Arlington PD Celebrates Employees Who Went Above and Beyond in 2021

Published on March 29, 2022

By Tim Ciesco

The men and women of the Arlington Police Department do great things daily as they work to serve and protect the community. But each year, there are employees and community partners who truly go above and beyond in their contributions to the organization and to making Arlington a better place.

That’s why every spring, the department hosts an Annual Awards Ceremony to celebrate their efforts.

The latest ceremony, which was held on Friday, March 25, recognized outstanding work done during the 2021 calendar year. Recipients were honored for everything from saving victims of sex trafficking, to using a love of cars as a way to connect with high school students, and finding new avenues to keep officers informed about mental health patients they may encounter on the streets.

The 2021 Annual Award Recipients are:

• Business Partnership Award: Seasons of Change
• Citizens Community Award: Erica Gorruso, TA Howard Middle School Principal
• Community Engagement Officer of the Year: Officer Michael Cortes
• Detective of the Year: Detective Josh Youngblood
• Operations Officer of the Year: Officer Benajah Baskin
• Professional Employee of the Year – Administrative: Samantha Alvarado
• Professional Employee of the Year – Technical: Katrina Hickman
• Rookie of the Year: Officer Lauren Oatman
• East District Officer of the Year: Officer Jesus Adame
• North District Officer of the Year: Officer Joshua Loesel
• South District Officer of the Year: Officer Buffie Verhagen
• West District Officer of the Year: Officer Lauren Oelke
• Supervisor of the Year: Sergeant Courtney White
• Overall Employee of the Year: Detective Alan Branch

“We truly have the best police department in the country – and I mean the best,” said Chief of Police Al Jones. “And it’s because of the outstanding public servants that work for this department. Celebrating the hard work, contributions, and service of these employees is the highlight of my year.”

CBS 11 News anchor Doug Dunbar served as emcee for this year’s event. The department would like to thank him, the Arlington Police Foundation, the Arlington ISD Center for Visual and Performing Arts, and the other organizations who helped make the ceremony possible.