For Immediate Release

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Methuen Police Detective Receives Gift of Caring Award

METHUEN — Mayor James Jajuga and Chief Joseph Solomon are pleased to announce that Methuen Police Detective William Kannan received the Gift of Caring award from the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) of the Merrimack Valley last month.

The Trauma Intervention Program is a group of specially trained citizen volunteers who are called upon by first responders to help provide emotional and practical support to victims of traumatic events and their families in the first few hours following a tragedy. Each year, the TIP Gift of Caring award goes to first responders who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to provided support to victims of trauma.

Detective Kannan was recognized for his genuine caring demeanor during a sudden death call last fall. He was one of the responding officers to a home where a man had just passed away, and there were many family members present who did not speak English well.

Detective Kannan went out of his way to try and comfort the family by making sure they understood what was going on, and why there were so many police officers in their home. He continued to work with TIP volunteers to provide support for the family members, and as more officers arrived on scene, he continued to explain why they were there in an effort to comfort the family.

“I am extremely proud of Detective Kannan for the way he handled this situation by showing such compassion for this family who was clearly dealing with a very traumatic situation,” Chief Solomon said. “On behalf of the entire department, I congratulate him on this award and thank him for continuing to represent the Methuen Police Department in such a compassionate way.”

Detective Kannan was honored during the TIP volunteer appreciation banquet on May 4 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Andover.

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