Stechschulte named county's top cop by Exchange Club

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J Swygart, The Lima News, Ohio
·3 min read
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May 18—LIMA — The recognition just keeps piling up for a detective with the Lima Police Department.

Detective Steve Stechschulte, with nearly 30 years of public service in law enforcement, was named Monday by the Lima Exchange Club as the winner of its Jack Somerville Award as the 2020 Law Officer of the Year.

Earlier this year, Stechschulte was honored by the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association as Ohio's Outstanding Peace Officer for 202o.

The detective earned widespread praise for his role in bringing people involved in gang-related activities to trial. He gained national certification as a gang expert and has testified in numerous court hearings that have led to convictions and lengthy prison sentences for some of Lima's most notable criminals.

"Steve Stechschulte's certification as a gang expert has been a real game-changer for Lima and Allen County," said Exchange Club member Stephanie Moos, who served as chairperson for the Exchange Club's police recognition program.

Stechschulte said, "First of all, thank you. Secondly, I couldn't do what I do without the other detectives and patrol officers at the LPD. I want to thank them, along with my supervisor, Jason Garlock."

Echoing the words of the event's featured speaker John Willamoski, Stechschulte said it's a difficult time to be in law enforcement.

"It's not real popular right now to be a police officer. I can't say enough about the people who do this job," Stechschulte said. "I've been doing this for almost three decades and you just work hard and you do what you think you should do

"I really appreciate this award. Thank you," said the man known simply as "Steck."

Willamowski, a judge on the Third District Court of Appeals, called peace officers "the shield between good and evil." He said 264 police officers died in the line of duty in the United States in 2020, a substantial increase from the 235 who died one year earlier.

"They died protecting the citizens of their communities. They died doing what they were called to do, and we are forever grateful to them," the judge said.

Stechschulte was one of two nominees for the award. The other nominee was Elida Police Department Patrolman Lawrence Nelson-Wallace, who was praised by his chief, Dale Metzger, "for taking the art of community policing to a new level with residents of the village."

Moos, who served as chairperson for the police recognition program, said in most years there are multiple nominations for the award.

"This year many agencies told the club it was too hard to pick one person to nominate because everyone had done such a magnificent job getting through the difficulties generated by the COVID-19 pandemic," Moos said.

This year's winner will be the 53rd officer honored and the fourth since the club dedicated the annual tribute as the "Jack Somerville Law Officer of the Year Award."

Somerville was the charter president of the Lima Exchange Club in 1959 and has been an active member ever since.

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