Employee Recognition

The Champaign Police Department’s Employee Awards Ceremony is held annually to help highlight staff accomplishments over the previous calendar year and to thank each and every one of them for their positive commitment to our City.

We thank our officers and staff for their tireless efforts to advance CPD’s mission “to serve our public by the unwavering protection of all citizens, through unconditional respect and collaborative efforts with our community.” Our continued success is defined by the collection of our daily standards to always perform at our greatest, and always in pledge to our dedication of service through trust, integrity and respect.

Please join in congratulating the below individuals, nominated by their peers for embodying those very principles and for having a standout year of service in 2019.

Officer of the Year

Officer James Hobson’s dedicated performance of duty, his community-first attitude and a commitment to serving all citizens through unconditional respect has led him to become an exceptional officer and a shining example of the department’s guiding principles. Through his distinguished demeanor, Officer Hobson has taken pride in his ability to communicate effectively and professionally with supervisors, peers and citizens alike, which allows him to meticulously complete calls for service in a proactive fashion to ensure the best possible resolution to any problem faced. Whether its producing wanting subjects, DUI stops, drug enforcement calls or assisting other calls for service, Officer Hobson has earned the trust and respect of his peers through the enthusiasm for which he serves.

On numerous occasions, Officer Hobson has gone out of his way to assist other beats on high priority calls and then offer to assume portions of the workload. He continually demonstrates these selfless acts of teamwork – always seeking ways to assist his fellow peers and, importantly, community members.

Officer Hobson has proven himself as a talented officer who always keeps a positive attitude and a drive to learn and accept new challenges. His thorough understanding of the law and its proper application has made him an invaluable asset to the Champaign Police Department and a worthy selection for Officer of the Year.

Employee of the Year

Kelly Brown

Kelly Brown serves as a Police Services Representative with the Champaign Police Department. She represents the outstanding qualities which are critical to the Department’s mission with a positive attitude and relentless work ethic that has given her the well-earned reputation as the “gold standard in costumer service.” Her efforts to consistently provide quality support and immediate response to employees, officers and citizens is commendable and valued by all.

Kelly excels in her duty performance with model professionalism and exemplifies our guiding principles of “service through trust, integrity and respect.” Her knowledge of the Department and the City, with a community-first attitude and her willingness to assist others even if it means additional work is why she is so deserving of the recognition she is receiving as Employee of the Year.

Lifesaving Award

The Life Saving award is presented to officers who have taken significant steps to mitigate a potentially life-threatening event.

Officer Jesse Brockwell is commended for his lifesaving actions on December 29, 2019, when he responded to a vicious dog attacking a male victim. The male’s arm was nearly severed and the dog continued to bite and attack. With extreme precision, Officer Brockwell used his duty weapon to dispatch the animal and end the attack, then assisted in rendering aid to the victim. The subject lost an extensive amount of blood and underwent multiple emergency surgeries. Medical staff concur, and if not for his decisive intervention, the male would likely have died from trauma or infection. For Officer Brockwell’s heroic actions and dedicated performance of duty, he is recognized with the 2019 Life Saving Award.

Officer Richard Carroll is commended for his lifesaving actions on March 25, 2020, when a civilian staff member of the Police Department suffered a cardiac event while on duty. Within less than one minute of the call for help, Officer Carroll arrived on scene to assess the situation, administer CPR and deploy the AED. His quick and decisive actions brought his colleague back to life. For Officer Carroll’s heroic actions and dedicated performance of duty, he is recognized with the 2019 Life Saving Award.

Officer Kelly Walton is commended for his lifesaving actions on July 20, 2019, when he responded to a suicidal young woman sitting on the edge of the I-74 overpass. Officer Walton utilized his training as a Crisis Negotiator to communicate with her and build a rapport, while incrementally closing the distance between them. When it became clear she was about to jump, Officer Walton placed his own safety at risk to grab the female and pull her to safety. Because of his selflessness and dedicated performance of duty, the female’s life was saved and she was able to get the medical help she needed. For Officer Walton’s heroic actions and dedicated performance of duty, he is recognized with the 2019 Life Saving Award.

Sergeant Jaceson Yandell is commended for his lifesaving actions on On March 25, 2020, when a civilian staff member of the Police Department suffered a cardiac event while on duty. Within less than one minute of the call for help, Sergeant Yandell arrived on scene to assess the situation, administer CPR and deploy the AED. His quick and decisive actions brought his colleague back to life. For Sergeant Yandell’s heroic actions and dedicated performance of duty, he is recognized with the 2019 Life Saving Award.