“It is an honor and a privilege to stand before you today as we come together to recognize the outstanding dedication and unwavering commitment of the men and women who serve and protect our Temple University community,” said Jennifer Griffin, chief of police and vice president for public safety.

Temple police officers Andrew Lanetti and Manuel Williams and Police Sergeant Lauren Boone received the Life-saving Award after jumping into action to provide medical care. That incident happened on Sept. 27, 2024, when a construction crew was moving a 700-pound air conditioning unit on a dolly inside a new retail space located just off campus but within the university’s patrol zone.

At some point, the unit fell onto one of the workers. His crew was able to push the unit off the individual, but he was severely bleeding with multiple lacerations.

Lanetti was the first to respond and utilized a tourniquet to control the bleeding. He then radioed that he needed another tourniquet as well. 

“He kept saying his right leg hurts. So I went to put a tourniquet on his right leg. I also wrapped a bandage around his head to stop the loss of blood,” he said.

Sergeant Boone arrived next and used a second tourniquet to stop additional blood loss from his arm injury. Boone and Officer Williams also continued talking to the man to ensure he would not go into shock before medics arrived. 

“It appeared that he was losing consciousness quickly. He was going in and out,” Boone said. “We were trying to keep him talking so he wouldn’t go into shock so we asked him questions about his family, his kids—he has two daughters. I was trying to take his mind off the seriousness of it and when he told me he has two teenage daughters, I told him, ‘Your hands are full,’ trying to lighten the mood as best as I could.”

When paramedics arrived, the victim was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was treated for weeks before being released. 

The police officers were glad he survived and is now recovering. 

“We were able to help him because we had extensive training in this over the years,” Lanetti said. 

Boone added that “neither of us have had to apply a tourniquet in the real works, but we both knew what to do because of our training.”

Police officers Jeffrey McKee and Jacky Tran and Lieutenant Kamari Boone also received the Life-saving Award involving an incident that happened on Sept. 17, 2024. That’s when Temple Public Safety’s Communication Center received a call regarding an individual on the roof of a residential hall. Tran was the first to respond and found a student sitting at the edge of the rooftop. He then called for additional units. A short time later, Lt. Boone came up with a plan to distract the young women, saying to her, “Look how beautiful the city is.” When she turned to look at the skyline, McKee seized the opportunity and rushed in to grab her before she could harm herself. The young woman was safely removed from the roof and taken to medics awaiting to evaluate her for any injuries.

Griffin noted the university’s police officers, dispatchers and security officers all work together to improve safety in the Temple community. 

“Today is a celebration—a celebration of service, of excellence, and of the profound impact each of you has on our campus and beyond,” Griffin said. “Together, as one team, we are building a safer future for Temple University—and I am proud to stand with all of you.” 

Other Public Safety employees were rezognized, as well. 

Employees of the Year:
· Police Officer of the Year - Andrew Venini
· Dispatcher of the Year - Donald Kirk
· Security Officer of the Year - Janee Phillips

Letter of Appreciation
· AUS Maurice Morris and Supervisor Karl Mortin
· Dispatchers, Kaylah Barnes, Amber Michael, Deanna Venini and Aneatha Enoch

Commendatory Citation
· P/O’s Andrew Venini, William Egan, Jeffery McKee
· Detectives Nick Chachula and Kevin Badie

Merit
· P/O’s Sean Quinn and Richard Rivera

Years of Service
20 Years of Service
· P/O Steve Duda
· S/O Reniqua Draughton

30 Years of Service
· Lt. Russell Moody
· P/O Hasain Sabir
· S/O Matthew Simmons
· S/O Phillip Polite

35 Years of Service
· P/O Catherine Thomas

Marksmanship
· Lt. Charles James and P/O Andrew Lanetti