New Rochester officer wins top award for performance at Police Academy

ROCHESTER - Earlier this month Officers Jack Settele and Rachel Hill graduated from the 192nd New Hampshire Police Academy. Both officers started with the Rochester Police Department in January where they completed an in-house training program and then the 16-week Police Academy.

In a surprise to all, during the graduation ceremony, Police Academy Commandant Captain Peter Russell presented Settele with the Arthur D. Kehas Outstanding Achiever Award. The award is in honor of the late Manchester Police Department Deputy Chief, Director of the Command Training Institute at Babson College, and the first Director of the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council.

According to Russell, many consider Kehas to be New Hampshire's "most outstanding police officer of all time", stating "It gives us great pleasure to present the Arthur D. Kehas Outstanding Achiever Award to Officer Jack Settele of the Rochester Police Department."

Captain Russell stated, "For a number of years, the most prestigious award given out at Police Academy graduations has been the Outstanding Officer Award, given to the recruit who has reached his or her highest level of achievement by accumulating points in academics, physical training, and firearms, as well as exhibiting leadership, motivation, and attitude."