FARMINGTON — For the second year in a row, police officer Michael Lyman has been named Farmington Police Department’s Employee of the Year.

During the past year, Lyman took the responsibility of training coordinator for the department while also serving as the primary field training officer, Chief Jack Peck said in a news release.

Lyman trained four new officers last year. Training each for a minimum of 10 weeks is extremely time- and labor-intensive, Peck said.

“This is a very exacting job and you handled it exceptionally,” Peck said in a letter to Lyman.

In addition to his added duties, Lyman last year made over 1,300 traffic stops, arrested over 30 individuals for operating under the influence and issued over 100 criminal summonses, along with regular calls for service. These included coverage of a fatal motor vehicle versus pedestrian crash on New Year’s Eve which resulted in the arrest and conviction of the driver for aggravated operating under the influence.

Lyman also conducted the department’s annual physical agility testing and managed the 2016 OUI grant.

Chief Peck also acknowledged the work of Detective Darin Gilbert and named him Employee of the Quarter for the Fall of 2016.

Gilbert worked with the Farmington Fire Rescue Department and Wal-Mart on Veterans Day to provide a community fundraising event. He organized a successful barbecue that raised over $1,500 for the Travis Mills Foundation.

“You had already organized and provided a barbecue on Memorial Day of last yer benefiting the Lone Survivor Foundation,” Peck said in an award letter to Gilbert. “This also raised over $1,000 and all of the proceeds were given to injured vets and their families. This is true community policing.”

In the fall of 2016, Peck acknowledged how Gilbert’s hard work paid off for the citizens of Farmington.

“Since taking your new position as detective, you have worked diligently on several cases,” Peck said of Gilbert. “Those included a case where you investigated the trafficking of heroin and one where a suspect was caught on video stealing prescription drugs from a home. Both pleaded guilty during this last quarter.” 

Gilbert also investigated eight other incidents, resulting in five arrests, issued four summonses and initiated nine arrest or search warrants.

Peck acknowledged both officers’ overall professionalism, work ethic and dedication to the department that helps the Farmington police meet its mission of creating a feeling of safety for townspeople.

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