A dedicated officer, Vernon focuses on helping others
Posted on 09/28/2020
Officer Vernon accepts award presented by Police Chief Alan Maciag.Melissa Vernon received the Police Officer of the Year award for 2019, a recognition that was presented at the City Council meeting on Sept. 21. While the meeting was held online, Chief Alan Maciag presented a plaque to Officer Vernon in person at City Council chambers.

The award recipient is chosen annually by fellow officers. Vernon stood out for her work in bringing two RAD training sessions to the City and instructing women in self-defense along with fellow officer Matt Duggins. RAD stands for Rape Aggression Defense. She is also the field training officer and taser instructor for the department.

“I felt honored to receive the award,” Vernon said. “I worked really hard all year to be there for the community. I took on a lot of different responsibilities and roles.”

“She’s a hard worker, does a great job and is an exceptional police officer,” said Maciag, who intended to present the award when it was announced in June but realized that in-person City Council meetings might not happen anytime soon.

The mayor and fellow council members congratulated Vernon on her achievement.

Vernon is also a newly minted on-call firefighter for the City and has already been on a couple runs. That is work she does outside of the Police Dept., but also shows her commitment to serve in the community.

“I absolutely love Northville. The community and residents have been so welcoming,” Vernon said.

Vernon has been on the Northville Police force since April 2018. Prior to that, she served two years on the Detroit Police Force. She holds a B.A. in criminal justice from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO, where she attended as an NCAA scholar-athlete in wrestling and trained at the Detroit Police Academy.