Columbia PD officer appointed to national board, will be “a strong voice,” Chief says
A leader at the Columbia Police Department received what it calls a “prestigious” accolade.
CPD’s Deputy Chief Melron Kelly was appointed to the 2018 Congressional Badge of Bravery Review Board. He will be serving on the State and Local sect of the national review board. CPD announced Kelly’s appointment on Wednesday.
Ten years ago, Congress passed legislation establishing the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act to honor the achievements of federal, state and local police officers in the line of duty, according to the United States Bureau of Justice Assistance. The medals are awarded annually by the U.S. Attorney General and are presented by the recipients’ Congressional representatives. Candidates for the honors must have been injured while performing police work or “performed an act characterized as bravery” while at risk for injury or death.
“I am thrilled to be the newest member of the Review Board whose sole responsibility will be to salute fellow law enforcement officers who went above and beyond the call of duty,” Kelly said in a statement. “We see these acts on a daily basis in the City of Columbia and elsewhere, but now the nation will appreciate those acts as well.”
Kelly was chosen among his peers for the State and Local Board by Vera Bumpers, Police Chief of the Houston Metro Police Department and the President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. The Columbia Deputy Chief joins Bedford, Virginia Sheriff Michael J. Brown, Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations, and Retired New York Police Department’s Transit Chief Joseph Fox as board members.
“Every day police officers commit acts of heroism and bravery in service to our citizens,” Police Chief Skip Holbrook said in the statement. “I am both proud and encouraged by Deputy Chief Kelly’s appointment to the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Board. He will bring a strong voice to this important board as they review and select officers worthy of this prestigious Badge of Bravery Award.”
Deputy Chief Kelly is a Columbia native who joined CPD in 1999 after being a police cadet and graduating from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. Last year, he was selected as the International Association of Chiefs of Police 40 under 40 award winner. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from South Carolina State University and is a member of various community and social organizations, including NAACP, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
This story was originally published December 29, 2018 at 11:14 AM.