EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER SELECTION (October 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018)

As Chief of Police, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Detective Kurt Thompson has been selected by our Recognition Committee as the Hollis Police Department Employee of the Quarter (October through December, 2018). Detective Thompson has an incredible amount of responsibilities as a result of his assignment as our Detective, Evidence Custodian, and Firearms Instructor. Despite having a number of different specialties and responsibilities, Detective Thompson always stays up to date on his felony investigations. He has been actively working with other law enforcement agencies and the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office to investigate a recent residential burglary where a firearm and a large amount of cash were taken. Despite hitting multiple roadblocks in this investigation, Detective Thompson recently completed an arrest warrant for the main suspect and is working towards seeing the suspect charged with a Federal crime.

Detective Thompson is responsible for the Property Room and the inventory of evidence within. In this past quarter, two different inspections/audits of the property room were conducted, and we determined that Detective Thompson is maintaining the room with 100% accuracy on both occasions. Accountability with evidence and property is of utmost importance to maintain the confidence of administration and the public, and Detective Thompson can be counted on to always have the room in inspection ready condition.

Additionally, Detective Thompson is always willing to help out with any task that comes up. He is very flexible with his time, and often makes sacrifices to adjust his schedule for the good of the department. Detective Thompson regularly spends 4 or 5 shifts per month covering patrol assignments to accommodate the department. He responded to the scene of a fatal M/V crash during the cold early morning hours to help investigate the collision, and then spent many hours furthering this investigation as well.

Detective Thompson was INSTRUMENTAL in the Hollis Police Department purchasing new firearms, as he took the lead on the project, which included a detailed and thorough analysis of ammunition and their costs. As a result of his efforts, all members of the Hollis Police Department received classroom training and range training on their new firearms. Lastly, Detective Thompson provided valuable input to changes to our policy regarding off-duty carrying of pistols.

As I have stated on many occasions, which is something that I genuinely believe, I consider myself extremely fortunate to serve alongside each of the members of the Hollis Police Department. As is the case with our employees, Detective Thompson truly exemplifies all that we expect in public servants, and his commitment to this agency, the Hollis Community, the law enforcement profession, and all of his colleagues is measured not in one or two outstanding accomplishments, but in the pattern of his consistent and dedicated public service. 

It is also important to mention that the Recognition Committee also considered two other candidates for the Employee of the Quarter recognition for the last quarter of 2018. The individuals nominated were:

1. Dawn Desaulniers, IT Director for the Town of Hollis
2. Officer Lucas Ilges, Patrol Division

It was communicated to me that the Recognition Committee had a very difficult time picking a winner as two of the three candidates have been nominated several times and any of the three would be a great choice. It is also important to mention that before the end of the week, the Recognition Committee plans on selecting a winner for 2018 Employee of the Year from our 3 Employee of the Quarter winners.