Washington, DC –
Peter J. Elliott, U.S. Marshal for the
Northern District of
Ohio, was presented with the TOP COP award by the National
Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) at a ceremony at the
Warner Theater in Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 12. Before a full
house, Elliott unexpectedly handed his award to Grace Leon, the
widow of a slain Cleveland patrolman whose tragic death during a
fugitive pursuit led to the creation of the
Fugitive Safe Surrender
concept. Elliott was being honored for helping the U.S. Marshals
Service launch the innovative program. Safe Surrender offers
fugitives a chance to surrender at local faith- and community-based
organizations.
An emotional Grace Leon, widow of Patrolman Wayne Leon, accepted the
trophy in honor of her husband. Also on stage were celebrities
Richard Belzer of NBC’s Law and Order, and John Walsh, host of
television’s America’s Most Wanted.
Over the past two years,
Fugitive Safe Surrender projects were hosted in Cleveland, Phoenix,
and Indianapolis. U.S. Marshals worked with pastors and other
community leaders to help nearly 3,000 individuals surrender safely,
and deal with their outstanding warrants. Elliott’s efforts also
were lauded by U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones in last
Friday’s Congressional Record. “It is because of his commitment and
remarkable innovation in law enforcement that I wish to acknowledge
“Top Cop” Marshal Peter J. Elliott,” said the Congresswoman.
“Marshal Elliott is an outstanding man who has greatly contributed
to the safety of his district and the country.”
“For each fugitive who
peacefully and voluntarily surrenders, law enforcement officers and
citizens face one less dangerous confrontation on the streets,” said
Elliott. He credited U.S. Marshals Director John F. Clark’s efforts
to fund the program and make it part of the agency’s Adam Walsh Act
operations aimed at protecting children from sexual predators.
TOP COPS Awards pay tribute to law enforcement officers for
outstanding service to their communities. Nominations come from
rank-and-file police officers, and selections are made from among
hundreds of candidates. Twenty officers from the top 10 cases of
2007 were chosen this year. NAPO, a national law enforcement group,
represents 238,000 sworn law enforcement officers from 2,000 police
associations and units across the country. |