Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird presented the Mayor’s Award of Excellence for February 2020 to Officer Jay Denzin of the Lincoln Police Department on Monday.
The award presentations were postponed due to the pandemic, and the last presentation was made in January 2020. The awards recognize City employees who consistently provide exemplary service and work that demonstrates personal commitment to the City.
Denzin was nominated by now retired Captain Martin Fehringer for productivity and safety for his work to remove illegal narcotics and weapons from the community.
In addition to his daily work, Denzin is credited for applying for and serving 13 search warrants for narcotics that resulted in 81 arrests. “Denzin was organized, patient and tenacious to complete that many search warrants, especially when he was still expected to take calls for service, make traffic stops, check businesses, and patrol high crime areas,” Captain Fehringer says.
The other categories in which employees can be nominated are customer relations, loss prevention and valor. Consideration also may be given to nominations that demonstrate self-initiated accomplishments or those completed outside of the nominee’s job description.
All nominations are considered by the Mayor’s Award of Excellence Committee, which includes a representative with each union and a non-union representative appointed by the Mayor. Award winners receive a $50 gift certificate, a day off with pay and a plaque.
All monthly winners and nominees are eligible to receive the annual award, which comes with a $250 gift certificate, two days off with pay and a plaque.