BEATRICE – A 15-year veteran officer with the Beatrice Police Department has logged a national honor.

Sergeant Shane Mololey has been named the National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, by the American Legion.  Mololey this past January was named the Nebraska American Legion’s State Officer of the Year and then Regional Officer of the Year….which then forwarded his name for consideration of honors on a national basis.  Mololey was nominated by fellow officer, Zack Smith.

Mololey, who also serves as a volunteer coach at Pawnee City High School…will be honored as the National American Legion Officer-of-the-Year at an American Legion event in Florida…in late August.

“My son plays football for Peru, he’ll be going through two-a-days…and he’s got a game that weekend. My daughter plays volleyball at Doane…she’s got a game. My other boy, Anthony, he’s playing basketball at Peru.  Me and my wife are going to go, my mom’s going to go, my sisters are going to go, I believe Chief Murphy and Captain Moss are going to go.”

Mololey has served as a patrol officer, a narcotics investigator and now a sergeant.  He spoke of the time he spent in narcotics investigation.

“To really be a good narcotics officer, you have to be able to connect with criminals  It’s a whole, another world.  You’re living in their world….you’re learning how they do things…how they buy drugs, how they sell drugs, how they buy guns, how they sell guns….anything, in that dark world. I enjoyed every minute of it…I enjoyed coming out of it.  Chief Lang always said, great narcotics agents don’t come back to the road, very well.  So, it was good that I promoted out of there and came back.  Because now, Chief Murphy  has taken what I was so good at…and put me in charge of it.  So, I don’t have to do it…..but I can teach it.”

Shane also serves as the Commander of the Beatrice Police Special Response Team…whose members were honored this past year for rescuing two children from a hostage scene that ended in the arrest of a homicide suspect.  Mololey said you can train for such situations, but not for the mindset, courage and discipline required. He credits the crew of that S-R-T for ending a standoff successfully.

“Walking up, I hit the door….it came open…two hits….and then Kelly, Ben, Zack making their entry….Sergeant Carver pulling the kids out…..us…ending that situation, terrible situation like that…was amazing.”

Mololey has been with Beatrice Police for 15 years. Prior to that, he was on the Nebraska State Corrections staff, where he and current Beatrice Police Captain Dan Moss served on a special response team.  Mololey says he’s enjoyed police work.

“I remember talking to Chief Lang…an amazing man….I remember sitting down with him, and he was, you had a problem, you had an issue….and I remember he looked at me and said, you are born to be a cop.  To really have that coming from such a man that you just admire for his career and what he did for you….was probably one of the greatest compliments I ever got.”

Mololey said the local department is in a great position, where veterans and new officers and staff work as a team.

“The police officers we have here….you know, nobody expects to win an award like this, right?  But, even without the expectation of winning that award you still to out and do the things that obviously win you the award….and that’s the way we act, here. And an award like that, it’s almost the Super Bowl of law enforcement…to win that.  They all strive…..you see it in everybody.”

The American Legion each year awards a National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award for an officer who exceeds the duty requirements of their position, demonstrates a pattern of community service and professional achievement.