The Houston Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association has presented Senior Officer Kevin Montrelle Hunt with its annual Lynn B. Clooney Memorial Award as the 2017 Officer of the Year “in recognition of his outstanding leadership and tireless efforts to foster a strong relationship amongst HPD officers and the community.”
The alumni association’s Andrea Schmauss read the citation at the April general membership meeting before hundreds of Hunt’s fellow HPOU members. The tribute was thorough and captured Hunt’s spirit and determination.
Senior Officer Hunt is a veteran member of the Houston Police Department and has served his community with pride for the past 16 years. Father, husband, officer, mentor, and spiritual leader, he truly embodies what it means to provide “the gift of service” in and around the communities of Houston.
Officer Hunt is clearly an outstanding leader, mentor, teacher and colleague. He has displayed his ability to connect with the youth, which are the cornerstone of the community and our future by serving as an Advisor and mentor for the TAPS Academy from 2015-2016 and the 2016-17 school years.
The TAPS program stands for the Teens and Police Service Academy and primarily targets at-risk youth, many of which are affiliated with gangs and are in danger of dropping out of high school.
As a mentor at the Margaret Long Wisdom High School location (formerly known as Lee High School), he has built a relationship with countless teenagers that formerly had negative perceptions of law enforcement officers and offered them guidance on ways to address issues that they might face. Through training and the facilitation of curriculum, Officer Hunt, strives to provide young people with some of the tools needed to be productive citizens.
In addition to this work, Officer Hunt has displayed commitment to community relations by his
involvement in serving as an Advisor for the Houston Police Department Explorers Program.
He served as the Advisor for Midwest Post 7277 from 2014-2016. In an effort to help young people explore their interests in careers related to the field of Law Enforcement, Senior Officer Hunt led a team of 40 teenagers and young adults through a rigorous yet rewarding experience.
Under his leadership, they attended various state and local law enforcement conferences and competitions, placing 4 times in various skilled divisions. He forged a relationship with representatives from the local Special Olympics committee and provided opportunities for the Explorers to help facilitate the event.
In the fall of 2014, in an effort to offset any expenses that the Explorers may incur for the year, he created a partnership with the Houston lmprov Comedy Club creating a high-grossing comedy showcase fundraiser entitled “Kids, Cops, and Comedy.” This event provided an opportunity for members of the community, parents, local businesses, supporters and law enforcement officers to build relationships with one another through laughter.
The Lynn Clooney Memorial Award is presented in April or May of each year. The award recognizes an OFFICER OF THE YEAR for his/her accomplishments in the previous calendar year. Selection is made from nominations submitted by Commanding Officers of the Houston Police Department.
The first award was presented in 1994. When the nominations are received by the HCPAAA Board, all identifying information has been redacted from the submission. This prevents an officer from being selected on the basis of favoritism. All nominations are reviewed, discussed and voted on by the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The Board is informed several days later as to the identity of the award recipient.
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