The Abington Township Police Department hosted a special event at the North Penn VFW in Glenside on Wednesday, November 13 to celebrate and honor sworn officers, crossing guards, volunteers, professional support staff, and members of Citizens and Police Together (CAPT).

The annual banquet, now roughly a decade old, began in lieu of the previous tradition of commendations before the township’s Board of Commissioners meetings.

Police staff vote on the commendations according to the following criteria:

• Peggy Myers Award – For the professional staff member who exemplifies the Department’s core values of P.R.I.D.E., leads by example, and is the “Ultimate Team Player”
• Humble, Hungry, Smart Award – in recognition of (her/his) unwavering dedication, outstanding skills and steadfast commitment to the Abington Township Police Department.
• John Livingood Award – in recognition of (her/his) teamwork, dependability and commitment to the Abington Township Police Department.
• Chris Tanczos Perseverance Award  – in recognition of (his/her) professionalism and dedication during (his/her) __ years as a dispatcher  

“Unique about this night was everyone brought their families. It’s nice to see spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and children be there for the recognitions,” Chief Patrick Molloy said. “We had other awards on behalf of our core values. It was a pretty ambitious evening and my favorite night of the year. Our volunteers never ask for it, but you can see how proud they are during the event. You see the kids lining up to be with their parents. It’s heartwarming to witness that recognition of heroism.”

Police were honored for representing pro-active policing “in terms of taking guns and drugs off the streets,” Chief Molloy said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the work that our cops are doing out there. They’re stopping aggressive drivers, but they’re also going after felons.”

Among those recognized were members of the Holt family (pictured above). According to Chief Molloy, Dave Holt and his sons took part in a foot chase involving two fleeing males following an accident at the intersection of Jenkintown Road and Abington Avenue in Glenside on Friday, October 11.

After failing to stop for a red traffic signal at the intersection, the driver of the vehicle struck another vehicle traveling through the intersection. The first vehicle then careened onto the sidewalk and struck a 13-year-old female pedestrian who had been speaking with a crossing guard who had just led her across the road.

Both males then attempted to flee the scene on foot. Mr. Holt, an ex-marine, and sons decided to take action.

“The family did the right thing and helped out in the right way. Those guys caused a lot of damage. Thankfully the 13-year-old will be alright,” Chief Molloy said. “We have a non-pursuit policy, so when the guys started running, these kids and the father ran to different areas to show officers where the fleeing men were going. It wasn’t a far distance, but it was enough to let our officers know exactly where to go. We thought that was such a cool thing that these kids acted without hesitation. Thankfully, the individual who was struck will be okay.”

Molloy noted that the fleeing males are felons from Philadelphia, one of whom has a history with Abington Township.

The full list of commendations can be found below:

A photo album of the evening can be found on the Abington Township Police Department’s Facebook page. Below are some examples:

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