The Greenwich Police Dept announced that Lieutenant Timothy Kelly has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Dr. John Clarke Award for Officer of the Year, the Department’s highest and most distinguished honor. 
The Dr. John Clarke Award is named in honor of Dr. John Clarke, whose legacy is defined by the values he championed throughout his career: integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to excellence in public service. The award is reserved for those whose contributions leave a lasting mark on the organization and the community it serves.
Lieutenant Kelly is being recognized for his pivotal role in leading the Greenwich Police Department to full accreditation under the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POSTC), a rigorous, multi-tiered certification process that evaluates every aspect of a department’s operations against professionally recognized benchmarks. Over the course of two years, Lieutenant Kelly served as the driving force behind the Department’s accreditation effort. He took ownership of the Tier I standards, the foundational requirements that must be not only met but continuously maintained, while simultaneously completing the substantial requirements of Tier II and Tier III. Together, these tiers represent hundreds of individual standards spanning policy development, training compliance, operational review, and administrative documentation.
Thanks to Lieutenant Kelly’s dedication, the Greenwich Police Department now stands fully accredited under all three POSTC tiers, a distinction that signals to the public, peers, and the broader law enforcement community that this Department operates at the highest professional standard.
What distinguished Lieutenant Kelly’s work was not only the result he achieved, though that result is significant and will benefit the Department for years to come. It was the manner in which he pursued it. He approached this task with quiet, steady determination, without seeking recognition and without cutting corners. He understood that the value of accreditation rests entirely on the integrity of the process, and he held to that standard even when no one was watching.
Lt Kelly is part of a family of Greenwich Police officers:
Retired Police Detective Frank Kelly, now a member of the police auxiliary police, with sons Tim Kelly (left) and Tom Kelly (right). April 27, 2020 Photo: Leslie Yager
POSTC is the state agency charged with establishing and enforcing professional standards for law enforcement agencies throughout Connecticut. Its accreditation program is structured into three progressive tiers: Tier I addresses core policies and procedures; Tier II examines advanced operational and administrative standards; and Tier III represents the highest level of the program, requiring comprehensive excellence across all facets of law enforcement practice. Achieving and maintaining POSTC accreditation demands meticulous attention to policy compliance, detailed documentation, ongoing training, and a culture of accountability.