Officers Mitchel Burgess and Mark Wells Named Officers of the Year by Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce
School Resource Officers Mitchel Burgess and Mark Wells have been named Officers of the Year by the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce for their tireless work in maintaining a safe learning environment at McGavock High School.
The officers were honored at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday at the Springhouse Golf Club.
In attesting to their exemplary service, Sergeant Jack Klotzback, Burgess’and Wells’immediate supervisor, wrote the following:
“Officers Burgess and Wells work diligently in their school and, as a result, have become meshed into the fabric of McGavock. They act as counselors, confidants, conduits for community resources and a resource for law-related questions, all in addition to keeping the peace. Officers Burgess and Wells provide an opportunity for positive police interaction with almost 3,000 students, parents and staff members on a daily basis. They are approached every school day by students who are concerned with events happening at school, in their homes and in the community. As a result of those interactions, these two officers frequently provide information to officers in the field and detectives to further enhance neighborhood safety. Officers Burgess and Wells are much more than just a pipeline for information and a smiling face in the hallway. They are serious law enforcement professionals. Since I had the pleasure of becoming their supervisor in the fall of 2002, these officers have made more than 550 physical and citation arrests in and around McGavock High School. The charges run the gamut from truancy violations to drug and weapon offenses.”
“Officers Burgess and Wells are responsible for keeping the peace in a high school with a population that is greater than many of Tennessee’s towns,”Chief Ronal Serpas said. “They are truly making an outstanding difference every day, and I am very proud of their work.”
Burgess, 36, is a 12-year police department veteran. Wells, 40, is an 11-year police department veteran.
Officers Mitchel Burgess (left) and Mark Wells (right) named
Officers of the Year by Donelson-Hermitage
Chamber of Commerce