April 6th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel William Pallozzi today recognized sworn and civilian employees of the year at barracks and units throughout the Department, which culminated with the announcement of the statewide Trooper, Non-Commissioned Officer, Police Communications Supervisor and Police Communications Operator of the Year.

The statewide Trooper of the Year award was presented to TFC John Wildman of the Aviation Command, Frederick Section. The Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the Maryland State Police was awarded to Sergeant Allen L. Watson, of the Special Operations Division, Emergency Services Unit. The statewide Police Communications Supervisor of the Year award was presented to Sydney D. Sarrichio, of the Rockville Barrack. The 2016 Police Communications Operator of the Year award was won by Police Communications Operator II Bradley C. Laning, of the Centreville Barrack.

TFC John Wildman, the 2017 Trooper of the Year, has been with the Maryland State Police since 2015. TFC Wildman is an active trooper who successfully blends his experience as a paramedic with his passion for law enforcement.

In 2017, TFC Wildman led the Aviation Command across all criminal and traffic enforcement categories. During that time, he conducted criminal investigations, primarily stemming from proactive traffic enforcement leading to:

• 7 criminal arrests
• 8 warrant arrests
• 380 vehicle stops
• 229 citations
• 356 warnings and 2 DUI arrests

For 2017, TFC Wildman also responded to 83 medevac missions, ranging from pediatric patients being struck by vehicles to adult victims of violence. TFC Wildman effectively performed numerous invasive procedures to treat patients in life-threatening situations, including endotracheal intubations, chest decompressions and tourniquet applications. TFC Wildman was involved in five rapid sequence intubations in 2017.

This included in August 2017 when TFC Wildman, along with Cpl. Reuter responded to a call in Queen Anne’s County for a 15-month-old child with seizures whose airway was compromised and was not breathing effectively. The crew performed a rapid sequence intubation and TFC Wildman placed the endotracheal tube in the child’s trachea. Securing the child’s airway allowed him to be ventilated which improved his poor oxygen levels. The patient made a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital four days later.

TFC Wildman also completed 21 aerial law enforcement/search and rescue missions. These missions included searches for critically missing children and adults and tracking missions for fugitives and suicidal subjects. Over the past year, TFC Wildman utilized all three of Maryland State Police’s Aviation Command aerial rescue devices: the patient extrication platform bag, rescue basket and the stokes litter.

Also in August 2017, TFC Wildman was deployed from the aircraft, via hoist, at the Prettyboy Dam in Baltimore County. A drowning victim had been resuscitated by the Baltimore County Fire Department, but all efforts to extricate the patient had failed. TFC Wildman completed a stokes litter extraction of the victim in cardiac arrest with a LUCUS mechanical CPR device attached. The patient regained pulses after being hoisted in the aircraft. This was the first and only known hoist in Maryland history utilizing a device which supplied continuous mechanical compressions to the patient during the hoisting operation.

Sergeant Allen Watson, the 2017 Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, entered the Maryland State Police in 2008 and was assigned to the La Plata Barrack, where he was a leader in traffic and criminal enforcement. He was selected to become a member of the Special Operations Division, Emergency Services Unit in 2013.

Between 2013 and 2017, Sergeant Watson helped organize and lead 252 Mobile Field Force Missions that ranged from Disaster Recovery, Search and Rescue, Public Order, Counter Terrorism, Dignitary Protection and other Special Events.

In 2017, Sergeant Watson was critical to the success of the Emergency Services Unit’s mission. During that time, Sergeant Watson helped plan and facilitate 37 Mobile Field Force Missions and 67 Training Days for Department Personnel. Sergeant Watson served as the Assistant Maryland State Police Detail Commander during the Baltimore Ravens eight home games and was primarily responsible for the prevention of vehicle borne terrorist attacks while supervising 15 troopers during these operations.

In January 2017, Sergeant Watson was a Squad Leader in the Department’s elite Public Order Unit during the inauguration of President Donald Trump. His unit teamed up with units from Montgomery County Police and United States Park Police during the inauguration in Washington, D.C. and offered support when demonstrators turned violent and began looting and setting fires. Corporal Watson was a key factor in the training in each of these platoons, preparing for the mission and the lead-up to the inauguration.

In October 2017, while off-duty in his police car in Prince George’s County, Sergeant Watson intervened in a disturbance at a bus stop between two men. Although not immediately apparent, the initial suspect outside of the vehicle was stabbing a vehicle passenger in his neck with a knife. As Sergeant Watson approached, the suspect ran off and Sergeant Watson stayed with the victim, called for medical assistance and provided a suspect description to investigators. It was later learned that mutual stabbings had taken place between both men and both were eventually taken into custody.

Police Communications Supervisor Sarrichio, the Police Communications Supervisor of the Year award winner, initially began his career with the State Police as an intern at the Rockville Barrack. While attending the University of Maryland, he was hired as a contractual police communications operator in 2006.  He became a fulltime employee in 2007.

PCS Sarrichio is trilingual.  He fluently speaks Spanish, English and Danish.  He often uses his language abilities to assist non-English speaking individuals who either call or visit the barrack.

Displaying initiative, PCS Sarrichio created a letter in both English and Spanish that is sent out to wanted individuals in an effort to have them turn themselves into authorities. Since his appointment as PCS, he has had nearly 400 warrants withdrawn and destroyed, assisting not only the criminal section with full workups, but also the barrack troopers.

While training new PCOs, he displays great leadership by expecting new trainees to uphold the same standards to which he holds himself. PCS Sarrichio uses his extensive knowledge of Department regulations to depart important and necessary information during training.

PCS Sarrichio not only trains Police Communications Operators at the Rockville Barrack, but will take on others from different barracks who were not performing to the Department’s standards. He is so knowledgeable about the Department’s regulations that he has even helped sworn staff with manual-related issues.

PCS Sarrichio displayed a capability for innovative solutions in May of 2017 when a distraught godmother walked into the Rockville Barrack. She was receiving emergency texts from her goddaughter in North Carolina. PCS Sarrichio was able to ping the cellphone and reach out to the High Point Police Department for a welfare check. Through his efforts, it was discovered that a third party was using the Goddaughter’s cellphone number in an attempt to extort money from the Godmother. The Goddaughter was safe and unharmed.

Police Communications Operator II Laning, the 2017 Police Communications Operator of the Year, began his dispatcher career in 2009 when he was hired by the Maryland Department of Transportation Authority.  He joined the Maryland State Police in July 2015 as a PCO I. He completed the Police Communications Training and developed into an intelligent and proficient police communications operator II.

In 2017, PCO Laning demonstrated consistent reliability and dedication to the Centreville Barrack. In July 2017, PCO Laning displayed true dedication to the Maryland State Police and the citizens of Maryland when a Tornado destroyed his home in Kent Island.  The Laning family was left without a place to live and were forced to stay in a hotel for two months during repairs. Despite the large disruption to the lives of himself and his family, he used only five days of leave before returning to his scheduled shifts.

PCO Laning shows leadership qualities in his ability to work unsupervised and without the need for direction.  He relentlessly sought out additional knowledge and training to further his abilities as a police communications operator.  He often uses his personal time and resources to compile advanced training.

PCO Laning provided a much-needed service to troopers on the road by developing a directory of all authorized towing services.  Now, troopers are able to easily print and provide information to citizens regarding the destination of their towed vehicles directly from the patrol car printer.  Not only does this help citizens, but also reduces a burden on Duty Officers and administrative staff.