Sergeant Brandon Blumke with Tuscarora Township Police Department was recognized by the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) for his work in promoting domestic violence victim safety and offender accountability. Also pictured are (from left):  Daryl Vizina, Cheboygan County Prosecuting Attorney; Amber Whitmore-Michel, Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan Counselor/Advocate; Blumke; Peggy Mills, Victim Advocate/Witness Coordinator at Cheboygan County Prosecutor’s Office; and Gordon Temple, Tuscarora Township Police Chief. (Photo courtesy Kortny Hahn, Cheboygan Tribune)

Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) recognized Tuscarora Township Police Sergeant Brandon Blumke for his work in promoting domestic violence victim safety and offender accountability. Blumke is one of five law enforcement representatives to receive the Excellence in Service award in the WRCNM’s five-county service area. The awards are presented in conjunction with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Cheboygan County Prosecuting Attorney Daryl Vizina said that during a particularly difficult case, Blumke was patient and stayed in contact with that survivor through the whole process. “There are a lot of officers who do a great investigation, go out and get the evidence, take the pictures, do all those sorts of things,” said Vizina. “But what was great about Brandon is that he genuinely was concerned about her well-being.”

Blumke said he is honored and humbled to receive the award; the first he has received during his 18-year career at the police department. “I’m very thankful to the Women’s Resource Center and prosecutor’s office for choosing me for this award. The ultimate goal is to be a voice for the citizens of Tuscarora Township and Cheboygan County, being the voice for those who sometimes don’t have one.”

Blumke gave credit to the prosecutor’s office for all of the work they do on the cases as well. “With our job, a lot of their work goes unnoticed,” said Blumke. “But their commitment to the people of Cheboygan County goes unmatched.

Police Chief Gordon Temple is proud of Blumke. “He is very, very hard working. He takes all of his cases seriously,” said Temple. “He follows all of his cases through, all the way to the end and I am very lucky to have him as a part of my staff.”

This is the third year for the WRCNM Excellence in Service Awards; past Cheboygan County recipients include Deputy Brenda Nowak and Deputy Jeff Bur with the sheriff’s department.

WRCNM counselor/advocates select recipients of the Excellence in Service award because they often work cooperatively with law enforcement on domestic abuse situations in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet and Otsego counties. Honorees for 2016 from other counties are: Deputy Skyler Skrobecki, Antrim County Sheriff’s Office; Deputy Nathan Kaminski, Charlevoix County Sheriff’s Office; Officer Scott Gosciak, City of Petoskey Department of Public Safety and Trooper Brock Artfitch of the Michigan State Police. (Adapted from an article by Kortny Hahn, Cheboygan Tribune)