Mansfield Division of Police 2023 Award Recipients

Joe Lyons • December 18, 2023

Civilian of the Year: Transcriber Amy Johnson

Transcriber Amy Johnson 20th year with the City of Mansfield. She has worked diligently in her position with a remarkable way of always having a positive and pleasant attitude. Her incredible ability to handle the ever-increasing work-load in combination with her attention to deadlines is just one example of her contribution to Division success.

In 2023 Amy has transcribed 33,545 pages, 1,287,484 words, 127 hours and 48 minutes. In addition to this she has completed more than 100 requests for the prosecutor’s office, and helped solve numerous digital issues. To put that into perspective: there is on average 260 work days a year, which means that Amy averaged over 2 transcriptions a day for each of her work days. That’s almost 5,000 words a day

Amy has been and continues to be an absolute asset to the Division. I am proud to announce the two thousand twenty-three Civilian of the Year is, Amy Johnson.

Detective of the Year:

Detective Larry Schacherer Detective Schacherer has had a busy year. He has been the lead detective on several Homicides with one being solved and an arrest being made all while continuing to identify suspects and make arrests in the others. He also investigated a felonious assault that happened as two cars sped throughout the city with one firing rounds into the other vehicle hitting a person inside.

Detective Schacherer spent a lot of time and resources tracking down witnesses and verifying stories to get to the truth, resulting in the suspect being convicted and sentenced to 36 years in prison. After countless hours of hard work on another Attempted Murder case, Detective Schacherer was able to get the suspect convicted with a 16-21-year prison sentence.

Detective Schacherer is always available to answer the call if a Major Crime comes in and to help other Detectives if they happen to get the case. He will step up and help Patrol when needed using these instances as a teaching moment enhancing patrol capabilities in the process. In addition to his investigative work, Detective Schacherer is a member of the divisions UAS and the Motor Cycle units.

Detectives Schacherers hard work, tireless effort and drive to find justice for the cases he investigates reflects greatly on his professionalism and dedication to the citizens of Mansfield. I am proud to announce that the two thousand twenty-three Mansfield Division of Police Detective of the Year is, Larry Schacherer.

Supervisor of the Year: Sergeant Joseph Soehnlen

Sergeant Soehnlen has been a Division leader for more than 6 years. He is an integral part of the departmental firearms training, and is creative with keeping officers “on their toes”, creating a firearms training program that placed officers in high stress situations preparing them for a lethal encounter should that day come. Sergeant Soehnlen is a division armorer and spends countless hours making certain that the officers have the necessary equipment to assist them in their daily duties; completing year end inventories, conducting research, and working on the timely purchases of new and necessary equipment.

Sergeant Soehnlen spent ten years of his career as an ASORT operator and sniper. Even after leaving the team he leads training and proficiency testing for the precision marksmen of not only ASORT but other agencies throughout North Central Ohio. Sergeant Soehnlen is a member of the Division Honor Guard, taking seriously his role in honoring fallen officers, while supporting the fallen officers’ departments, and their families during those tragic times.

Sergeant Soehnlen is a Field Training Officer supervisor taking on the responsibility of making sure the FTO’s and their “cubs” are navigating through the field training program as intended; assisting with their training while incorporating corrective action, or words of encouragement.

Sergeant Soehnlen is considered a friend to many due to his easygoing nature, but will act when necessary to address an issue with an officer, and problem solve to come up with the best solution. Sergeant Soehnlen is consistent, reliable, and always maintains a positive attitude. I am proud to announce that the two thousand twenty-three Supervisor of the Year is, Joseph Soehnlen.

   Officer of the Year: Officer Justin Cikity

Since 2015 this Officer Cikity has served in the Community Services Bureau patrol section. In 2023, Officer Cikity distinguished himself as an unspoken leader on his shift, consistently assisting other officers. Officer Cikity serves as a background investigator and a member of the Divisions Recruitment Team. Several of Officers Cikitys investigations and self-initiated calls for service have led to serious felony charges where he worked with Major Crimes detectives to further the investigations and secure convictions.

Officer Cikitys efforts during the year have far reaching impact in the overall quality of police service provided to the citizens of Mansfield. Officer Cikity was not only nominated by his supervisors for Officer of the Year but also by other officers on his shift. One young officer submitted an Officer of the year nomination for Officer Cikity calling him. “a supervisor on the road for this shift.” The officer also detailed how Officer Cikity is always willing to help younger officers and strives to make them the best they can be. Officer Cikity displays a passion for the profession that is evident not just in word but in his actions. For his commitment to the Citizens of Mansfield, the Division of Police, and the other officers he works with, I am proud to announce the two thousand twenty-three Mansfield Division of Police Officer of the Year is, Justin Cikity.