REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- The Rehoboth Beach Police Department recognized its officers and emergency communications staff for outstanding service and performance at its annual awards banquet on March 28.
Detective Brian Reynolds was named 2024 Officer of the Year. Reynolds leads the department’s criminal investigation unit and played a key role in multiple fraud investigations, including one involving more than 40 victims.
Civilian of the Year went to Communications Specialist Gregory Tietmeyer, who coordinated training for seven new dispatchers while continuing his duties as a lead call-taker.
Civilian of the Year Communications Specialist Gregory Tietmeyer with Chief Banks and 911 Communications Manager Nicholas Priddy. (Photo: City of Rehoboth Beach)
The department also presented Life Saving Awards to six employees whose actions directly contributed to saving lives. Those recognized were:
Sr. Cpl. Jeffrey Bixler
Communications Specialist Dustin Crago
Pfc. Marie Fuller
Communications Specialist Cynthia Peters
Communications Specialist Steven Watson
Fuller also received an Exceptional Performance Award for her work supporting a juvenile victim and identifying a suspect in the same case.
Five members of the city’s 911 communications center earned Commendations of Merit for training multiple new hires. Those recognized were Ryan Buff, Dustin Crago, Todd Reilly, Greg Tietmeyer, and Steve Watson.
Sgt. Scott O’Bier, who plans to retire later this year, received the Chief’s Citation for his service and leadership as a firearms and taser instructor. Master Cpl. Curtis Suave was honored with the Sustained Superior Performance Award for consistently submitting accurate reports over the last decade.
Officers Timothy Chan and Rocco Esposito received Firearms Awards for high performance on multiple weapons qualifications. Additional Police Performance Awards were presented to:
Pfc. Marie Fuller – most complaints investigated
Sr. Cpl. Jeffrey Bixler – most criminal cases closed
Cpl. Joseph Mulhern – traffic enforcement and investigation
Sgt. Dana Wyatt – DUI enforcement
In the dispatch center, the following communications staff were recognized for excellence in specific response categories:
Ryan Buff – 96% overall score for emergency medical dispatch
Gregory Tietmeyer – 100% score for fire dispatch, 98% for police dispatch
Cynthia Peters – most complaints processed (1,692) and most ProQA software calls (755)
The awards ceremony also acknowledged promotions, years of service, and the contributions of new employees.