POLICE DISPATCHER RECOGNIZED FOR EXEMPLARY WORK: PROFESSIONAL LEADER

Police dispatcher Ken Bullard, the recent recipient of not one but two awards from an international organization of dispatchers and police communicators, exemplifies proficiency and professionalism within the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

Bullard was named the regional Telecommunicator of the Year and was honored for his outstanding performance in a critical incident by the Association of Public-safety Communications Officials International. Three dispatchers Bullard trained in the department's communications center nominated him for the awards, saying on the application: "Competency, leadership and professional growth are always displayed by Ken, but also, it is shared with those that he works with each day to help make our profession rewarding. Ken is an asset not only to the department but to the community for which he provides this service."

The reward for performance in a critical incident stemmed from his handling of an incident Nov. 18 that led to the arrest of a California man wanted in several states for a number of violations. It began with a telephone call from a local fraternity about a man who identified himself as a Hollywood, Calif., actor, and had asked the fraternity members to put him up for the night. After exhaustive computer searches, Bullard discovered the car the man was driving had been stolen. After his arrest the man gave police a number of names and dates of birth in an attempt to throw them off. But Bullard matched the man's description to a parole offender from California, who was wanted for a barrage of violations in other states.

That incident, you can be sure, is just one example of Ken's methodical persistence in handling his dispatching duties. The citizens of Cape Girardeau should be proud of his achievements and feel a bit safer knowing that such competency is only a call away in times of need.