FARMINGTON – Police Officer Darin Gilbert was named 2005 Employee of the Year in the Police Department last week.
In a letter to Gilbert, Police Chief Richard Caton wrote, “This annual award is given to any full-time employee who stands well above other employees in the performance of their job and who contributes immensely to the mission of the Farmington Police Department.”
In a Monday interview, Caton added, “In the last year, some of (Gilbert’s) leadership abilities came out, as far as mentoring and directing” rookie officers.
During the past year, Gilbert revamped the department’s Field Training Officer’s Program, updating it and bringing it more in line with new state orientation programs, Caton said. He also “went above and beyond” to help guide new officers, he said.
“He just picked up a lot of things on his own, (took) the initiative to talk with the new people and watch them in how they were conducting their business,” Caton said.
“And it was clearly something not really in his job description,” he added.
New officers have a lot to learn when starting work at the department, Caton said. They are expected to know town and state laws and ordinances, do paperwork, handle themselves with professionalism and “do our job without being demeaning” when dealing with difficult issues.
It’s a hard line to walk, “especially when you’re 21, 22 and just starting out,” the chief said. During the past year, new officers learned a lot from Gilbert, Caton said.
Gilbert, who has worked in the Farmington Police Department for more than five years, said he was surprised to receive the award.
“It’s quite an honor,” he said, especially since it’s a “good department and pretty much anybody here is worthy of getting.”
He said he loves being a police officer.
“It’s definitely the right decision for me in my life,” he said. “I like the aspect of being able to help people. Some days you’re handed nothing – someone comes in with a complaint, and when you can dig and search and find answers to their problems, it’s very rewarding.”
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