David Sims Jr. of Millbury was awarded the $500 Detective Keith Dressel Memorial Scholarship by the Owens Community College Alumni Association.

Sims Jr. received the scholarship at the Outstanding Service Awards held at Owens on April 24.

The 2006 St. Francis De Sales graduate doesn’t take the honor lightly.

“I can’t really believe it,” he said. “I’m very honored.
In North Toledo, Det. Dressel was fatally wounded in the line of duty in February 2007. He left behind his wife, Danielle, and two children, Sydney and Noah.

“Both Detective Dressel and his wife attended Owens Community College and are part of the alumni family. David Sims Jr. is a very deserving recipient of this scholarship and the Alumni Association is pleased to recognize his passion and commitment to the law enforcement profession,” said Laura Moore, Executive Director of the Owens Alumni Association.
Sims Jr. is working towards his associate’s degree in criminal justice at Owens and intends to continue his education through the college’s basic peace officer training academy.

He said he became interested in a career as a police officer at a very young age. He was inspired by his cousin, Sgt. Sims, a 14 year veteran of the Lake Township Police Department.

“I’ve looked up to him ever since I was little,” he said.
The ultimate goal for Sims Jr. is to become a police officer in Northwest Ohio and to one day serve on a S.W.A.T. team. He currently serves in the Lake Township Police Auxiliary Program.

The endowment scholarship is given annually to an Owens student at the Outstanding Service Awards who has the courage to become a police officer and embodies the passion, conviction and perseverance demonstrated by Detective Dressel during his career, according to Brad Meyer, Director of Public and Media Relations at Owens.

The scholarship must go to a student enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours at Owens per semester, holding second-year student status, and achieving at least a 3.0 gpa. In addition, preference is given to students with aspirations of a law enforcement career.

Other people honored at the Outstanding Service Awards ceremony included: Deputy William Laveglia of the Hancock County Sheriff’s office, Toledo firefighter Phillip Segur, EMS captain David St. Johns of the Rossford Fire Department, FBI Agent Kyle Fulmer of the Toledo Metro Drug Task Force, Detective Laurie Renz of the Toledo Police Department, and Donald and Judy Miller of Fostoria.

The Millers led a citizen action group to stop drug dealing in their hometown with staffing levels of the Fostoria Police Department at an all-time low.

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