The Greensburg Optimist Club meeting was held on June 13, 2024, at 6:30 AM.
Doug Orr began the meeting with the pledge of allegiance followed by the thought of the day- Look at the Sunnyside of everything. Doug said that he prepared a law enforcement-related joke of the day- A man in town was stealing wheels off of vehicles. The police are working tirelessly to find the criminals.
Dennis Fogle said that this award was first given in 1985. The recipient of the Law Enforcement of the Year Award is Wayne Davis.
Mike McNealy, Chief of Police was the first to stand and speak about Wayne. Mike said that Wayne is a lifelong resident of Decatur County and has been a part of law enforcement his entire life. As a child he would spend time with his mother Tracey in dispatch while his father Russ was out patrolling the streets of Greensburg. Tracey was not only a dispatcher but was the first female officer of the Greensburg Police Department. Wayne has worked all shifts at GPD. He has risen from the ranks of Probationary Officer, Police Officer, Sergeant, and Lieutenant, where he currently serves overseeing officers of A shift. Wayne serves on the GPD’s Tactical Response Team. Wayne is the department’s primary firearms instructor.
A few Law Enforcement Certifications that Wayne currently has- DWI and SFST detection, Incident Command Readiness, IDHS District 9 Law Enforcement Task Force, IDHS District 9 Field Force Member, ILEA Certified Instructor, ILEA Certified Firearms Instructor, Glock Armorer, Taser Instructor, and Certified Field Training Officer.
Chief McNealy ended by saying that Wayne embodies the words Protect and Serve and it is with great honor that Wayne Davis has received this award.
Mayor Josh Marsh stood and congratulated Wayne for this award. He thanked the other officers who attended this morning’s ceremony. The Mayor spoke highly of Wayne stating that he is a wonderful recipient of this award. The Mayor said that Wayne would be ending his 15-hour shift this evening at the 1st Community Night Out Event of the year.
Chief McNealy introduced the officers in attendance, as well as staff from the Administrative Office and Wayne’s father.
Wayne stood at the podium and thanked the men and women that he has served with. He said serving these individuals is an honor and makes his job that much easier. Wayne said that this has always been a calling for him. He told a humorous story during his speech. Wayne joked that his A shift Officers have gotten better at keeping a secret from him since they didn’t tell him about the award that he was receiving today.