From Staff Reports and the Apopka Police Department
The Apopka Police Department announced its individual awards for 2022 on their Facebook page last week. Among the awardees are Brian Kennedy (Officer of the Year), Officer Lauren Bordeaux (Rookie of the Year), and Holly Reardon (Civilian of the Year).
Brian Kennedy - Officer of the Year
Officer Brian Kennedy Jr. has been with the Apopka Police Department for five years, during which time he has become a member of the SWAT Team, trained numerous new officers as a Field Training Officer, and temporarily assisted the Strategic Investigations Unit.
Kennedy has been a member of the Central Florida Metro Swat Team for two years. He takes pride in being on the SWAT team and receiving advanced tactical training. He is a valuable asset because of the advanced training he receives and he is utilized on calls for service involving high risk situations.
Kennedy is also a field training officer and implements officer safety tactics learned from SWAT based training into his recruits. He also applies the knowledge he gained from his time in the Strategic Investigations Unit to his everyday patrol duties.
In one example, Kennedy applied his investigative knowledge by obtaining information of a residence being used for the sale of narcotics. He conducted multiple trash pulls resulting in the location of evidence that illegal narcotics were being used at the residence. He then authored and executed a search warrant on the residence which resulted in the primary suspect being arrested for trafficking narcotics.
Kennedy received a Life Saving Award for his efforts assisting another officer who was providing CPR to an unresponsive female. Due to the life saving measures performed, the female survived and was able to be transported to the hospital in a stable condition.
Not only is Kennedy an exceptional Law Enforcement Officer while on-duty, but he also volunteers his free time to assist the Community Outreach Division. Kennedy helped with the Apopka Public Safety Youth Academy by teaching SWAT and Traffic Stops. He assisted teaching the first ever Apopka Police Explorer class for teenagers interested in law enforcement. He volunteers to teach these courses and become involved with the community. He participates in a new peer advocacy program and attended a REACT training course hosted by UCF.
Kennedy is an exemplary employee who comes to work every day with a positive attitude. His work ethic is passed along to other members within the department and has motivated officers to conduct proactive patrol. He is a valuable asset to the Apopka Police Department.
Officer Lauren Bordeaux - Rookie of the Year
Officer Lauren Bordeaux truly deserves recognition for her work over the past year. She has tackled one of the largest projects our department has seen with a confident, graceful determination – Officer Recruitment.
Bordeaux was eager to manage this mammoth project and quickly set about educating herself regarding all aspects of recruiting above and beyond what her job scope required. She has unquestionably become the ‘go-to’ person for anything regarding this project due to her effort. Her knowledge of the project is well past comprehensive – she knows the information intimately.
This mastering of recruiting and everything related to it has been a huge asset for the AFD. Bordeaux has been able to explain things clearly to new hires and department staff even as she is learning it herself. She has kept the project moving forward. Though she makes it look effortless, Bordeaux has spent countless hours learning the project inside and out.
Despite the huge personal investment, she is always quick to give credit to others. Whenever she is recognized for her amazing work, she makes it clear that it is a group effort, never wanting to take all the credit. She is always collaborative and never wants to step on toes or make decisions alone. She understands the nature of recruiting and works to make sure people feel included, while still staying firm and on-track.
Bordeaux has also joined the APD’s Peer to Peer initiative, putting in more effort and investment for her fellow officers. On her off days, she can be found volunteering her time with Orlando Puppy Flights. This is an organization that transports displaced puppies around the country to find good homes.
Bourdeaux is always the first to volunteer to come in early when extra help is needed. Sergeant Jason Wiggins frequently contacts Bordeaux to assist with the Youth Academy and the Police Explorer program.
Even through stressful times, she can often be heard laughing. She is always upbeat, and in difficult circumstances looks for positive outcomes or compromises. She focusses on the good. This rookie officer has been amazing to watch in action this year. She has tackled every challenge that came her way and has helped everyone around her do the same.
Holly Reardon - Civilian Employee of the Year
For the past seven years, Holly Reardon has served as the Apopka Police Department's crime analyst. Her positive attitude, strong work ethic, vast knowledge, and abilities have been an integral part to the success of this agency.
In 2022, things were no different. With her vast knowledge of local offenders and incidents, Reardon assisted all divisions within the agency with multiple suspect identifications. For example, Reardon provided over 75 suspect leads through the review of reports, intelligence bulletins and surveillance.
Her door is always open and when called upon she always displays willingness and eagerness to help. Reardon has received multiple compliments from officers that she is always willing to help regardless of how busy she may be. Furthermore, she often makes a point to follow-up with patrol and criminal investigations to ensure her products are meeting or exceeding what is needed to help reach their goals.
Reardon is not only highly respected at our agency, but amongst her peers at other agencies, and the sworn personnel they serve. She has been a pivotal source of knowledge for other agencies, specifically in local gang member identifications and has assisted with the identification of prolific violent and property crime offenders for various jurisdictions.
As an example, in August and September of 2022, numerous armed robberies occurred in the Central Florida region, including Apopka. A task force was created, which included the FBI, Orange County Sheriff's Office, Orlando Police Department , APD, and others to identify and locate the perpetrators. Because of her reputation among local analysts, reardon was selected to be the primary point of contact for intel sharing amongst all agencies involved in the task force. With her assistance, the Task Force identified all suspects involved and they were subsequently charged federally.
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