Area's 'top cops' to be honored in nation's capital, meet Obama, Bush, Clinton

Eight law enforcement officers from this area will receive national recognition in May when they travel to Washington, D.C., to receive the TOP COP award. They will meet President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden of the White House, and might also meet two former presidents, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who are honorary chairmen of the National Association of Police Organizations.

Since NAPO launched the awards program in 1994, the TOP COPS Awards have paid tribute to outstanding law enforcement officers across the country for actions above and beyond the call of duty. TOP COPS awardees are nominated by their fellow officers for outstanding service during the preceding calendar year.

Glasgow Police Capt. Brien Gault nominated these officers, who participated with valor in the apprehension of the man who shot and killed Melissa Greenhagen and wounded two others on Jan. 17, 2009. They are Glasgow police officers Peter Glowacki, Robert Weber and Tyler Edwards, Valley County Sheriff's Deputy William Soper, BLM ranger Alexandra Burke, Border Patrol officer Philip Wright, Lt. Brian Irwin of the Wolf Point Police Department and Roosevelt County Sheriff's Deputy Dan McKee.

The TOP COPS are selected by a committee comprised of national law enforcement representatives who choose one TOP COPS case from each state and U.S. territory. The cases are then ranked and the top 10 case winners are flown to Washington, D.C., all expenses paid, for the awards ceremony, planned this year for May 14. The master of ceremonies will be John Walsh of the TV show "America's Most Wanted."

The ceremony takes place during National Police Week, May 9-15 this year.
Gault said he believes this is the first time that Montana officers have been recognized as TOP COPS.