Officer Rachel Bertrand Named 2025 Paducah Police Department Employee of the Year

Date of Release:

February 23, 2026

The Paducah Police Department hosted its 16th annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, February 19 at Walker Hall. During the event, 44 officers and telecommunicators, along with nine citizens, were recognized for exceptional acts of service throughout 2025.

Officer Rachel Bertrand was selected as the Paducah Police Department Employee of the Year. She distinguished herself throughout 2025 with exceptional performance and leadership. She ranked second in the department for criminal citations, fourth in traffic citations, and seventh in warrant service, reflecting her proactive approach to patrol work and consistent presence in the community. Her dedication extended well beyond scheduled hours, serving nearly 500 hours of overtime as she repeatedly stepped up when staffing or operational needs arose.

Her impact reached statewide through her impaired driving enforcement efforts. After earning the Governor’s Award for Impaired Driving Enforcement in 2024 with 106 DUI arrests, she repeated the achievement in 2025 by again leading all similar-sized agencies with 91 DUI arrests. These consecutive honors underscore her commitment to roadway safety and preventing loss of life.

In 2025, Officer Bertrand focused on broadening her expertise, frequently volunteering for day and afternoon shifts, including on her days off, to gain experience with diverse calls and policing challenges. Her professionalism and drive to improve led to her selection as a Field Training Officer, a role that reflects the department’s trust in her ability to mentor new officers.

Highly respected for her positive attitude, professionalism, and strong work ethic, she plays an important role in fostering a motivated and cohesive work environment. As Captain Steve Thompson wrote, “Her dedication, productivity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence make her the Employee of the Year.”

Sergeant Ryan Hudson was posthumously awarded the Gary L. Reese Award for outstanding leadership and distinguished service. Before his passing in 2025, Sergeant Hudson served as a patrol officer, DARE instructor, Honor Guard member, and SWAT operator. He later served as a General Investigations Detective, Drug Unit Detective, and President of the Police Bargaining Unit before being promoted to Sergeant. He was known for his dedication, professionalism, and commitment to serving the community.

We additionally presented the following awards:

The Meritorious Service Award

Officer Brooke Adams	Officer Noah Willett
Officer Daniel Hunerkoch	Officer Rachel Bertrand
Officer Matthew Crisman	Officer Jakob Mueller

The Chief’s Award

Sergeant Matthew Scheer

The Lifesaving Award

Officer Seth Farthing	Officer Taylor Cissell
Officer Samantha Taylor	Officer Matthew York
Officer Bryan Potts	Officer Samantha Taylor
Officer Steven Leady	Officer Noah Willett
Officer Tyree Owens	Officer Keith Thuline
Officer Rachel Bertrand	Officer Coy Dotson

Service Commendation

Telecommunicator Auston Scutt	Telecommunicator Hillary Fowler
Telecommunicator Stephanie Goins	Telecommunicator Amber Spears
Telecommunicator Colby Fauver	Captain Nathan Jaimet
Sergeant Matthew Scheer (2)	Sergeant Nickolas Francescon
Sergeant Ryan Hudson	Detective Corey Willenborg (2)
Detective Chelsee Breakfield	Detective Danny Slack
Detective Logan Barrow	Detective Casey Steenbergen
Detective Thomas Shiels (2)	Officer Benjamin Anthony
Officer Samantha Taylor	Officer Michael Foster (2)
Officer Steven Lang	Officer Seth Farthing (2)
Officer Tyree Owens	Officer Isabella Liefer
Sergeant Jason Hicks	Sergeant Dylan Cook
Officer Keith Thuline	Officer Carlos Kerley
Officer Brooke Adams	Officer Coy Dotson