Civilian of the Year: Transcriber Amy Johnson
November 1st, 2023 will mark Amy Johnson’s 20th year with the City of Mansfield. She has worked diligently in her position with a remarkable way of always having a positive and
pleasant attitude. Her incredible ability to handle the ever-increasing workload in combination
with her attention to deadlines is just one example of her contribution to Division success.
In 2023 Amy transcribed 33,545 pages, 1,287,484 words, 127 hours and 48 minutes. In
addition to this, she has completed more than 100 requests for the prosecutor’s office and helped solve numerous digital issues. To put that into perspective: there are on average 260 work days a year, which means that Amy averaged over 2 transcriptions a day for
each of her work days. That’s almost 5,000 words a day. Amy has been and continues to be an absolute asset to the Division. I am proud to announce the two thousand twenty-three Civilian of the Year is, Amy Johnson.
Transcriber Amy Johnson
Detective of the Year: Detective Larry Schacherer
Detective Schacherer has had a busy year. He has been the lead detective on several Homicides with one being solved and an arrest being made all while continuing to identify suspects and make arrests in the others. He also investigated a felonious assault that happened as two cars sped throughout the city with one firing rounds into the other vehicle hitting a person inside. Detective Schacherer spent a lot of time and resources tracking down witnesses and verifying stories to get to the truth, resulting in the suspect being convicted and sentenced to 36 years in prison. After countless hours of hard work on another Attempted Murder case, Detective Schacherer was able to get the suspect convicted with a 16-21-year prison sentence. Detective Schacherer is always available to answer the call if a Major Crime comes in to help other Detectives if they happen to get the case. He will step up and help Patrol when needed using these instances as a teaching moment to enhance patrol capabilities in the process. In addition to his investigative work, Detective Schacherer is a member of the divisions UAS and the Motor Cycle units. Detective Schacherer’s hard work, tireless effort and drive to find justice for the cases he investigates reflects greatly on his professionalism and dedication to the citizens of Mansfield. I am proud to announce that the two thousand twenty-three Mansfield Division of Police Detective of the Year is, Larry Schacherer.
Detective Larry Schacherer
Supervisor of the Year: Sergeant Joseph Soehnlen
Sergeant Soehnlen has been a Division leader for more than 6 years. He is an integral part of the departmental firearms training, and is creative with keeping officers “on their toes”, creating a firearms training program that placed officers in high-stress situations preparing them for a lethal encounter should that day come. Sergeant Soehnlen is a division armorer and spends countless hours making certain that the officers have the necessary equipment to assist them in their daily duties; completing year-end inventories, conducting research, and working on the timely purchases of new and necessary equipment. Sergeant Soehnlen spent ten years of his career as an ASORT operator and sniper. Even after leaving the team, he leads training and proficiency testing for the precision marksmen of not only ASORT but other agencies throughout North Central Ohio. Sergeant Soehnlen is a member of the Division Honor Guard, taking seriously his role in honoring fallen officers while supporting the fallen officers’ departments, and their families during those tragic times. Sergeant Soehnlen is a Field Training Officer supervisor taking on the responsibility of making sure the FTOs and their “cubs” are
navigating through the field training program as intended; assisting with their training while incorporating corrective action, or words of encouragement. Sergeant Soehnlen is considered a friend to many due to his easygoing nature but will act when necessary to address an issue
with an officer and problem-solve to come up with the best solution. Sergeant Soehnlen is consistent, reliable, and always maintains a positive attitude. I am proud to announce that the two thousand twenty-three Supervisor of the Year is, Joseph Soehnlen.
Sergeant Joseph Soehnlen
Officer of the Year: Officer Justin Cikity
Since 2015 Officer Cikity has served in the Community Services Bureau patrol section. In
2023, Officer Cikity distinguished himself as an unspoken leader on his shift, consistently assisting other officers. Officer Cikity serves as a background investigator and a member of the Division’s Recruitment Team. Several of Officer Cikity’s investigations and self-initiated calls for service have led to serious felony charges where he worked with Major Crimes detectives to further the investigations and secure convictions. Officer Cikity’s efforts during the year have far-reaching impact on the overall quality of police service provided to the citizens of Mansfield. Officer Cikity was not only nominated by his supervisors for Officer of the Year but also by other officers on his shift. One young officer submitted an Officer of the Year nomination for Officer Cikity calling him. “a supervisor on the road for this shift.” The officer also detailed how Officer Cikity is always willing to help younger officers and strives to make them the best they can be. Officer Cikity displays a passion for the profession that is evident not just in words but in his actions. For his commitment to the Citizens of Mansfield, the Division of Police, and the other officers he works with, I am proud to announce the two thousand twenty-three Mansfield Division of Police Officer of the Year is, Justin Cikity.
