Lieutenant Mark Gibson of the Cleveland Police Department has recently been nominated as Officer of the Year by the Cleveland Police Department Awards Committee.

This nomination was submitted to the Law Officer of the Year Committee of the 40&8, an independent, honor organization of male and female U.S. veterans. Every year, this committee chooses one officer from law enforcement agencies across the state of Tennessee, who has exemplified going beyond the call of duty.

The 40&8 was founded in 1920 by American veterans returning from France. Americans were transported to the battle front on French trains within boxcars stenciled with a “40/8”, denoting its capacity to hold either forty men or eight horses. This uncomfortable mode of transportation was familiar to all who fought in the trenches.

Lt. Gibson graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in December of 1996. In the spring of 1997, he attended and completed the Basic Police Academy at Cleveland State Community College and began his career with the Cleveland Police Department in November 1997. Gibson began his law enforcement career on patrol and was quickly named master officer and served as a field training officer. During this time, he also enrolled in the Master of Science program from which he graduated in August of 2005.

In October 2001, Lt. Gibson was promoted to detective and assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. His primary duties were to investigate property crimes such as thefts, burglaries, forgery and identity theft.

He was also the first officer of the Cleveland Police Department to attend the National Forensics Academy in Knoxville. This ten-week program focuses on the basic procedures for crime scene investigations.

After a little over 1.5 years of working property crimes, Lt. Gibson was reassigned to crimes against persons. He was responsible for various investigations dealing with violent criminal cases that included: death investigations, robbery, rape, child abuse and other violent crimes against persons.

In July, 2009, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to patrol as a shift commander for ECHO Team. Lt. Gibson has served on the Child Fatality Review Team, Child Protective and Intervention Team (CPIT), and Joint Major Crimes Investigation Unit, comprised of CPD officers and BCSO deputies. He currently serves on the city of Cleveland Human Resources Committee as a representative of the Cleveland Police Department.

Lt. Gibson has received two Meritorious Service awards for numerous felony arrests, the Life Saving Award, Purple Heart and Officer of the Year.

Chief Wes Snyder said, “Lieutenant Gibson is one of the most ethical officers I have had the pleasure of working with and supervising. He is an intelligent and motivated individual. Mark Gibson is the caliber of officer to receive the award of Officer of the Year.”