CHIEFS OF POLICE Group honors top cops

Youngstown's police chief received an administrative excellence award.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
NILES -- Realizing "something wasn't right" in his neighborhood, Thomas C. Landy wrote down two license plate numbers and gave them to Hubbard city police.
In August 2003, Landy saw two men he didn't recognize drive off in cars that had been backed into a neighbor's driveway. He followed them to get the plate numbers.
"What Mr. Landy didn't know at the time was that the female resident of the house had been robbed at knife point by the two men and raped by one of them," said Lt. Brian Girts, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Canfield post. "The two suspects, Christopher McBride and Jamal Bullock, were subsequently arrested."
Landy's efforts were instrumental in the capture and conviction of McBride and Bullock, both now serving lengthy prison terms, Girts said.
Landy, a former Hubbard police officer, was honored Wednesday at the annual awards ceremony of the Mahoning Valley Chiefs of Police Association at Alberini's Restaurant. Landy is the association's first civilian to receive a community policing award.
"I guess the old saying is true: 'Once a cop, always a cop,'" Landy said as he accepted his award certificate. "This is one of the best days of my life."
Other awards
Roughly 70 people attended the ceremony, including Greg White, U.S. attorney based in Cleveland. White received a distinguished service award for his efforts to reduce gun violence in Mahoning County.
Distinguished service awards for their efforts dealing with crimes related to the diversion of pharmaceutical drugs went to George Pavlich, Ohio State Pharmacy Board special agent, Youngstown Patrolman Tom Malone and Canfield Detective Andrew Bodzak.
As a team, Pavlich, Malone and Bodzak take on cases that often involve doctors, nurses, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, Girts said. In 2003, the team initiated 55 investigations that led to the arrest of 47 suspects.
Youngstown Police Chief Robert E. Bush Jr. accepted a distinguished service award given posthumously to Patrolman Michael T. Hartzell, who was killed in the line of duty April 29, 2003. The chiefs association also will make a $500 contribution to the Michael T. Hartzell Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Administrative excellence
Bush received an award for administrative excellence. Among the accomplishments mentioned were his creation of the Street Crimes Unit, used to address problems not being solved by conventional patrol methods, and his department's participation in last summer's Gun Reduction Interdiction Project.
Girts said Bush faced the challenge of managing his department after Hartzell's death. Under the chief's leadership, the department has rebounded and continues to heal from the tragic event, Girts said.
Investigative excellence awards went to Boardman Patrolman Glenn T. Patton, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Steve Rapp, Warren Detective Melanie Gambill, a member of the DEA task force, Warren Detectives Gregory Coleman, David Weber and Jeffrey Cole and Warren Patrolman Frank Dascoulias.
Former Poland Township Chief Carl Massullo received an award recognizing his 12 years in the chiefs association.
meade@vindy.com