OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City Police Department last week announced Shalimar Kufchak has been named “Auxiliary Officer of the Year” at an annual banquet last Thursday.

The OCPD Auxiliary Program, which began in 1999, includes 16 members who generously donate their time to the department and the Ocean City Community. The title of “Auxiliary Officer of the Year” is awarded to the individual who best demonstrates a devotion to duty and public service, and whose conduct and contributions exemplify the purpose of the unit. This year, the honor went to Kufchak, who has been a member of the program since 2010.

During 2011, Kufchak distinguished herself by contributing over 500 hours in support of public safety with the OCPD. She spent most of her time supporting the Services Section by answering phones at the front desk and assisting the property and evidence manager. In addition, Kufchak donated her time to participate in special events such as the OCPD’s annual Christmas Food and Toy Drive and the Play it Safe program.

“The auxiliary officers are an invaluable asset to our department,” said Chief Bernadette DiPino. “The nearly 3,000 hours which they donated in 2011 not only benefited the men and women of the Ocean City Police Department, but their contribution to public safety impacted the Ocean City community as a whole. I commend Auxiliary Officer Kufchak for her dedication to our department and our community.”

Since its inception, the Auxiliary Officer Program has saved the town of Ocean City nearly $1.5 million in service hours. In 2011, nearly 3,000 hours of service to the OCPD was donated, bringing the total hours of service to over 45,000 since the inception of the program.