by John Radford
Student, Champion Theme Middle School

There are some people who are realizing the dream, but the dream is not being realized for all. Realizing the dream can mean many things. For some, their realized dream could be opening their own business or buying their first house. To others it can mean seeing their sons and daughters graduating and getting married and having their own families. The dream realized is a broad term and one for which everyone may have his or her own definition.

For his commitment to excellence in service to the DeKalb County community, Officer Timothy W. Paske received the DeKalb Bar Association’s Officer of the Year award at the annual Law Day ceremony in May.

Each year police supervisors are asked to select an officer who exemplifies excellence in police work in DeKalb County. Professionalism, leadership, work ethic, and esprit de corps are all qualities considered when making this selection. Several officers achieved excellence this year, but Paske, according to his lieutenant, has excelled above the rest.

The DeKalb Bar Association’s first Outstanding Service award goes to Connie Curtis, an officer who has been with the department since 2003 and has been assigned to the DUI Task Force/STAR Team since 2009. During her tenure she has maintained a high level of professionalism and on numerous occasions exhibited superior leadership ability.

Officer Curtis began her career at South Precinct working as a uniformed patrol officer assigned to the morning watch shift. Because of her aggressive traffic patrols and increased level of productivity, she was approved for specialized classes in the realm of DUI enforcement and traffic direction and control. She also became a certified field training officer and has trained more than 20 uniformed officers while in Uniform Division.

The DeKalb Bar Association’s second outstanding service award goes to an officer who has been employed by the DeKalb County Police Department since August 2006. According to his supervisor, Reynaldo Cintron has been a model veteran officer and always a top producer on the watch. Cintron spends his shift working hard to make the North Precinct a safer place for the citizens of this county. He is always the first to volunteer for special assignments and is a great role model for the newer officers.

Officer Cintron’s mentoring of new officers is not a required task but his dedication to teaching inexperienced officers not only shows his commitment to his chosen profession but also his care and compassion for his fellow officers.