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Untitled document
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CONGRESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AWARDS
HISTORY
The New Hampshire Congressional Law Enforcement Awards (NH-CLEA) were founded by Congressmen John E. Sununu and Charles F. Bass in 1998 at the request of current and retired New Hampshire law enforcement personnel.
STRUCTURE
All nominations for NH-CLEA are sent to a committee independent of the Congressional offices. This committee is comprised of current and retired law enforcement personnel that represent a cross-section of the New Hampshire law enforcement community. State, county, and local officers make up the majority of the awards committee. Federal officials and county attorneys have been represented on the committee. Each Congressional office sends one staff member to the committee to act as advisers. The Congressional staff does not vote on nominations. The New Hampshire awards ceremony will take place in October of each year.
NOMINATION PROCEDURE
Eligibility
In New Hampshire, the nomination procedure is eligible for all sworn officers, full and part-time, including local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Nominations may be made for exceptional achievement in any police endeavor, including extraordinary valor, crime prevention, investigative work, community policing, community service, search and rescue, drug control and prevention and juvenile training programs. Citizens will also receive awards in special circumstances.
Endorsement
Nominations must have a signed endorsement from a citizen, the officer's department or co-worker, a city or town official, a member of the NH-CLEA committee, or a government agency.
Submissions
There are no formal applications or specified format required for submissions. It is recommended that nominations include a statement of specific circumstances involving distinguished police performance, supplemented by supporting documents such as departmental citations, letters of recommendation, newspaper clippings or personal observance. Submissions should be mailed to the awards committee or Congressional offices.
Notification
There will be an awards event occurring once a year. Award winners are notified by the Congressional office(s). Those submitting nominations should include work and home phone numbers for contact purposes.
AWARD CATEGORIES
The New Hampshire program has five categories that are presented each year:
Associate Service Award
The awards committee recognized the fact that rescue or fire personnel and civilians have come to the assistance of law enforcement personnel in the course of their duties, at times putting their own lives in harms way, deserved recognition for their help by the law enforcement community;
Unit Citation Award
The Unit Citation Award was made for actions that involved a group of officers in dangerous situations: a SWAT team action, for example, or, in the early 2000s, the award was given to members of the New Hampshire Fish & Game department that made a rescue on Mount Washington under extreme conditions. It should be noted that civilian mountain rescue groups that worked this same event received the Associate Service Award;
Career Service Award
The Career Service Award is to recognize an individual(s) that have, over the course of their careers, have shown an outstanding dedication to law enforcement;
Dedication and Professionalism
This award was designed to honor law enforcement personnel that go beyond their normal duties in service to others. An officer who is a DARE instructor that spends time in the community after the shift is done or a officer who takes personal time to solve cold cases are just two examples;
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
This award is for officers who put their lives in harm's way to help others. The NH-CLEA committee realizes that this is always part of any officer's duties, but there are times when heroism and sacrifice in extreme circumstances need to be recognized. It should be noted that this award has been given posthumously to law enforcement personnel but also to those that have survived such encounters. Other examples include rescues after accidents and dealing with people in distress.
SUMMARY
The NH-CLEA committee has worked hard to make the awards ceremony a family affair. They believe that families need to know that what their loved ones do is appreciated by their fellow officers, the New Hampshire delegation, and the community as a whole. The awards ceremony is open to the public every year.
For information about the 2012 Awards Ceremony and recipients, please click here.
For information about the 2011 Awards Ceremony and recipients, please click here.
For more information and to send a nomination, please contact:
Harold B. Parker
Office of Congressman Charles F. Bass
114 North Main Street. Suite 200
Concord, NH 03301
603-226-0064
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