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April 4, 2003



EMPHASIS: Corporal Sims Nationally Recognized For Actions



At a reception and banquet March 8, 2003, the International Association of Chiefs of Police(IACP) Division of State and Provincial Police, recognized the winner and three other finalists for their Trooper of the Year Award. The celebration was held in Alexandria, VA. Corporal William S. Sims, Troop H, was one of the four finalists. Accompanying him to the presentation were his wife, Janara Sims; Colonel Roger D. Stottlemyre, Q/Staff; and Major Richard L. Coffey, Q/TSB.







As part of the honor, the IACP took the finalists and their wives on a tour of the White House, U.S. Capitol, and National Law Enforcement Memorial in nearby Washington, D.C. "It was an awesome experience to see the sights in D.C. and be treated as well as we were," said Cpl. Sims when interviewed for this article. "The IACP did a wonderful job of making us feel appreciated. It was a great honor to be chosen."







The award came as a result of Cpl. Sims' actions on May 5, 2001. He was called to the scene of a crash involving a van submerged in a flooded creek. A woman and her young child were reported to be in the van. After arriving, Cpl. Sims and Sgt. Todd A. Zacher made repeated dives to locate the van. Several minutes later, the mother was located a short distance away. A citizen located the van, and Cpl. Sims and Sgt. Zacher once again began diving in an attempt to locate the van and rescue the child. After numerous attempts, the child was located and brought to the surface. The troopers made valiant efforts to revive the child, but were unsuccessful. (Note: Both Sgt. Zacher and Cpl. Sims accepted a Citation of Valor in May 2002 at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Awards Banquet for their actions.)







At the Trooper of the Year Award banquet, each finalist was recognized and the overall award winner was announced. When accepting his award, Cpl. Sims was very humble and quick to give Sgt. Zacher credit in his remarks. Originally, both Sgt. Zacher and Cpl. Sims were nominated for this award. However, IACP rules state that only one person may receive the award for any given region. So, the IACP made the decision to give the award to Cpl. Sims.







"Todd was in the water with me," said Cpl. Sims, "as were other law enforcement, civilian, and emergency personnel. It's terrible that a five-year-old boy lost his life that day."







Colonel Roger D. Stottlemyre also spoke at the award presentation. "Cpl. Sims is just one example of the fine men and women serving and protecting the citizens of Missouri," he said. "I want to commend Cpl. Sims on his actions and thank the IACP for this recognition. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is honored that IACP recognized one of our officers."







The IACP was founded in 1893. Since that time, it has been serving the needs of the law enforcement community. The other finalists included: Lieutenant Carl M. Harrison Jr., Pennsylvania State Police; Trooper Craig Stalker, Kentucky State Police, and Trooper Elliott R. George, Washington State Patrol. All four finalists were recognized and Lt. Carl M. Harrison Jr. was named Trooper of the Year.







Caption Sims2: Cpl. William S. Sims expresses his appreciation for the award. He also recognized Sgt.Todd A. Zacher in his remarks. Colonel Roger D. Stottlemyre and Mrs. Janara Sims can also be seen in the photo.







Caption Sims1: Superintendent Ronald W. Ruecker, Oregon State Police and General Chairman of the S&P Division, congratulates Corporal William S. Sims on being a finalist for the Trooper of the Year Award.