Adam Hyde named Lincolnshire's Officer of the Year
A veteran cop has been named Lincolnshire's latest Officer of the Year.
Officer Adam Hyde, who's spent nearly his entire 17-year career with the department, was honored at Monday's village board meeting.
Hyde, 38, called the recognition "a complete surprise."
"It's a nice honor, and it's appreciated," he told the Daily Herald.
Hyde joined the department as a community service officer in 1999. He left to serve as an officer in Johnsburg, but returned to Lincolnshire in 2000 and has been with the department ever since.
Hyde spent most of the last nine years as an investigator. He returned to patrol earlier this year.
"It's nice to have a change of scenery," he said.
The award primarily recognizes Hyde's work as an investigator. In 2015, he was assigned more than 50 cases, including several that led to felony arrests.
Among them was the case of a suspect who used bogus prescriptions to buy medication at drugstores in Lincolnshire and other towns.
"During the investigation, Investigator Hyde discovered the same suspect was responsible for dozens of other fraudulently obtained prescriptions in five other Lake County communities," Chief Peter Kinsey said.
Hyde also investigated an identity theft and computer fraud case that led to three arrests, the discovery of more than 100 additional victims and the seizure of a credit-card manufacturing machine, Kinsey said.
In addition to his regular duties, Hyde serves as a field training officer for new officers. He also works as a deputy commander with the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team.
"He is highly regarded both inside and outside of Lake County for his expertise in traffic crash investigation and reconstruction," Kinsey said.
Kinsey created the Officer of the Year Award last year. The inaugural winner was officer Bethany Brown.