St. Mary's County proclaims May 6 Law Enforcement Appreciation Day; officers of the year honored

St. Mary's County commissioners and the Department of Aging and Human Services proclaimed May 6, 2025, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and presented officers-of-the-year awards at a ceremony held at the White Rose in Lexington Park.

The proclamation, read by county officials, recognized the ‘‘dedication, sacrifice, and exemplary service’’ of local law enforcement and called on residents to express appreciation for officers and the families who support them. The ceremony included a moment of remembrance for officers who died in the line of duty, remarks from county and law enforcement leaders, and state legislative citations presented on behalf of the Maryland Senate and the Southern Maryland delegation in the House of Delegates.

Laurie Jennings Harris, director of the Department of Aging and Human Services, opened the event and introduced President Commissioner Randy Guy, who led the ceremony and read the county proclamation declaring May 6, 2025, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in St. Mary's County. Sheriff Steve Halloff addressed the crowd, thanking officers for ‘‘the unyielding dedication’’ that protects the county. Pastor Chris McCombs led a memorial remembrance for fallen officers.

Senator Jack Bailey presented a citation from the Maryland Senate and addressed recent state legislation, saying the Legislature had acted to prevent a second-review option for people convicted of murdering public safety officials, and adding, “if you murder a first responder in the state of Maryland, you will not get the chance of a second look.” Delegate Todd Morgan read a citation on behalf of the Southern Maryland delegation and summarized the House and Senate actions that returned the measure to the reconciled form presented to the governor.

County leaders presented officer-of-the-year recognitions to personnel from multiple agencies. Biographical highlights read at the ceremony included the following recipients and the agencies they represented (names and agency titles as read at the event): Bradley Kearse, recognized as deputy/officer of the year for the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office; Ayodeji Arjun B. Ade, correctional officer (corrections division, St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office); Trooper First Class John Nolan, Maryland State Police Aviation Command (recognized for a lifesaving mission and flight paramedic duties); Sergeant Jared Cranford, Patuxent River Police Department; Tim McDowell, Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office (investigator and bomb technician training); Michael Goodison, Maryland Natural Resources Police (conservation and boating enforcement); Matthew Innes, Special Police Officer, St. Mary's College of Maryland Office of Public Safety; Lisa Ridge, senior assistant state's attorney and chief of the narcotics unit (recognized by the St. Mary's County State's Attorney's Office); and Senior Trooper Allison Oiler, Maryland State Police (patrol, aviation, and technology unit work). The event materials as read at the ceremony included additional agency duties and year‑to‑date activity for some recipients (for example: one deputy’s June 2024 totals were read as 100 traffic stops with 138 citations, and a year-end figure of 559 stops and 787 citations was reported in the ceremony text).

Organizers thanked sponsors and supporting organizations that helped run the event, including the Triad council, the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office color guard, the Knights of Columbus color guard, the White Rose venue, and other local partners and sponsors.

The ceremony served as an annual recognition and remembrance event; county officials urged attendees to thank law enforcement officers in their communities. A full list of awardees and the citations read at the event was available from the Department of Aging and Human Services.