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Crime & Safety

MPO Shaaron Williams Named Officer of the Year

Officer recognized for 20 years of service

Master Police Officer Shaaron "Ron" Williams, a 20-year veteran with the Fairfax County Police Department, was named 2011 Police Officer of the Year by the Rotary Club of West Springfield.

Captain Joe Hill, West Springfield District station commander, cited Williams for being a leader among his fellow officers.

Williams began his career with the Fairfax County Police Department in 1991, and was assigned to the for the duration.

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He has served as a field training instructor, as the station’s wellness coordinator, and as a member of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Honor Guard Section.

In addition, Williams was a detective in the station’s Criminal Investigations Section for about three years and a school resource officer at for about five years.  He currently is assigned to the dayshift.

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Master Police Officer is the highest “non-supervisory” position an officer can attain within the police department. The title is earned through a competitive process.

Williams' two decades of service to the force tops a previous 20 years of active duty military service with the U.S. Marines.  It was during his military tenure he decided to become a police officer.  "I used to lift weights in the Marines, and one of the guys that was also lifting was a Fairfax County police officer," he said. "He talked me into becoming an officer.”

Michael Salkind, president of the West Springfield Rotary Club, said Williams received the award for his community involvement, especially within high school athletics.  

“When I was the school resource officer at West Springfield High School, I worked with a lot of the kids in weight training and fitness, and I was a mentor," Williams said. "I was someone for the kids to talk to.”

Williams said he was shocked to receive the award.  “I was really surprised because I’m used to just working and getting the job done," he said. "I learned in the Marine Corps you work until the job is done. That’s my lifestyle."

Williams said he is committeed to keeping citizens safe in his patrol area. In recent cases, he identified and arrested con artists who were successfully prosecuted who had taken advantage of senior citizen homeowners.

Begun in 2007 by Rotary Recognition Chair Kevin Anderson, the annual award is presented to a West Springfield District officer who has demonstrated sustained commitment to law enforcement and community service.

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