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 2018.

Officer of the Year

James Warren

Officer James Warren’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 Warren 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 Warren has earned the trust and respect of his peers through the enthusiasm for which he serves.

On numerous occasions, Officer Warren has gone out of his way to assist other beats on high priority calls and then offer to assume portions of the workload. On one occasion, he responded to a South District call of shots fired from his Northwest beat. He arrived, helped maintain order as several subjects were fleeing from a party and then interviewed multiple individuals as he took evidentiary pictures to assist the beat officer on scene. He continually demonstrates these selfless acts of teamwork – always seeking ways to assist his fellow peers and, importantly, community members.

Recently, Officer Warren added to his responsibility as a Patrol Officer by becoming a Firearms Instructor and will soon become a Master Firearms Instructor. His uncanny ability to teach and instruct in both a classroom and range setting has made him an important asset to the department’s Firearms Cadre.

Officer Warren 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

IT Network Technician Anh Tran

Anh Tran serves as an IT Network Technician with the City of Champaign and the Champaign Police Department. He represents the outstanding qualities which are critical to the Department’s mission with a positive attitude and relentless work ethic that has given him the well-earned reputation as the “gold standard in costumer service.” His efforts to consistently provide quality support and immediate response to employees and officers is commendable and valued by all.

There are many examples of Anh’s high performance, including keeping aging computers working at a high level and integrating all the new body cameras and squad car cameras for officers. When it comes to tech, Anh prides himself on being able to resolve any issue, even if it means he needs to research it further – there is rarely, if ever, a problem Anh cannot troubleshoot, and he does so with a friendly demeanor each step of the way.

Anh excels in his duty performance with model professionalism and exemplifies our guiding principles of “service through trust, integrity and respect.” His knowledge of the Department and the City, with a community-first attitude and his willingness to assist others even if it means additional work is why he is so deserving of the recognition he 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 Kristensen

Officer Jonathan Kristensen is commended for his lifesaving actions on May 13, 2018, at 12:45 a.m., when he and Officer Isidro Briceno-Garcia responded to First and Armory Street after receiving reports of gunfire in the area. Upon arrival, Officer Kristensen located a victim lying on the street, covered in blood-soaked clothing. A physical examination revealed the victim had been shot multiple times and suffered from life-threatening hemorrhages in each leg. As Officer Kristensen applied a tourniquet to the victim’s left leg, Officer Briceno-Garcia immediately applied a tourniquet to the victim’s right leg as both worked together to control the bleeding. The victim was transported to a local hospital and rushed to surgery. When interviewed, the trauma surgeon reported the quick action of both officers likely saved the victim’s life. For Officer Kristensen’s heroic actions and dedicated performance of duty, he is recognized with the 2018 Life Saving Award.

Isidro Briceno-Garcia

Officer Isidro Briceno-Garcia is commended for his lifesaving actions on May 13, 2018, at 12:45 a.m., when he and Officer Jonathan Kristensen responded to First and Armory Street after receiving reports of gunfire in the area. As Officer Kristensen arrived, he located a victim lying on the street, covered in blood-soaked clothing. A physical examination revealed the victim had been shot multiple times and suffered from life-threatening hemorrhages in each leg. As Officer Briceno-Garcia applied a tourniquet to the victim’s right leg, Officer Kristensen immediately applied a tourniquet to the victim’s left leg as both worked together to control the bleeding. The victim was transported to a local hospital and rushed to surgery. When interviewed, the trauma surgeon reported the quick action of both officers likely saved the victim’s life. For Officer Briceno-Garcia’s heroic actions and dedicated performance of duty, he is recognized with the 2018 Life Saving Award.