FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (May 12, 2011) -A,A Seven police officers from Fort Leavenworth were honored at the Leavenworth County Law Enforcement Awards May 9.

Fort Leavenworth Police Chief Aaron Henderson said he was pleased for the chance to honor post police enforcement.

"It doesn't matter whether they're civilians or Soldiers, it's pretty much whoever it is," he said. "They're the best of the best and this is our opportunity to recognize them in a public forum that goes beyond our installation boundary."

Sgt. 1st Class Brian Parker, section leader for military police investigations, was named the Fort Leavenworth Police Officer of the Year. Department of the Army Police Lt. Timothy Moore, access control point security guard, was named Security Guard of the Year, and Sgt. 1st Class Travis Huggard, section leader for traffic investigations, won the Special Events Coordinator Award. DA Police Sgt. Dustin Chester, Sgt. Steven Staples, Cpl. Cory Harboldt, Spc. Wesley Crownover and DA Police Officer Kayla Harp were recognized for the Best Arrest Award.

This is the second Best Arrest Award for Chester. He received the same award last year for apprehending an individual on foot.

The best arrest award was presented for an incident that took place Oct. 25, 2010, on post. Henderson said enforcement officers witnessed a man breaking into one of the homes with a crowbar.

"In the process of setting up a perimeter, the individual actually exited the quarters and walked right into the supervisor on duty, who immediately affected the apprehension, basically what we would call a felony arrest," Henderson said.

The individual was covered in blood.

"We didn't know if he had sustained an injury or if he had injured someone in the residence," he said. "They went in and cleared the quarters and determined no one was inside."

The Fort Leavenworth police worked with local law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which later filed federal charges against the individual.

One of the officers who cleared the home, Staples, had assistance from a military working dog, Jasko. Staples has since been reassigned to a new dog, but says his job is one of the best in the Army.

"You get to go out and work and play with dogs all day," he said.

Parker, who has been on Fort Leavenworth for a year, was presented with the police officer of the year award. Henderson credits him for increasing the case solve rate by 20 percent from the year before.

"Investigator Parker has pretty well established himself as the law enforcement top cop," he said. "Both from an investigator perspective as well as case solve rate, thoroughness, interpersonal communication skills. He is absolutely one of the best that we have."

Parker said he enjoys working on post.

"It's always something different, never the same thing, never a dull moment, and being able to assist the community," Parker said.

Huggard coordinates every special event on post, from yard sales to Post Activities Information and Registration Day to the first Command and General Staff College outdoor graduation in several years.

"Any special event on this post that happens, we're involved in," he said.

Moore was recognized for increasing the level of training proficiency for all security guards that work at the Fort Leavenworth gates. Last fall, Fort Leavenworth changed from having contracted, uniformed officers to Department of the Army security guards. The new guards had to receive training in 35 identified subject areas by the U.S. Army Police Corps before beginning work - including 80 hours of classroom and 80 hours of field training.

"Lieutenant Moore has really increased our level of training proficiency," Henderson said.

"All of these officers have done an outstanding job for the directorate and it certainly raised the bar for us."