Lieutenant Thomas S. Wells - Thomas Wells will celebrate his 20th year as a police officer in 2008. He became interested in law enforcement when he graduated from Walnut Hills H.S. in Cincinnati, Ohio. Being a native Cincinnatian, he grew up in Clifton. Tom graduated from the University of Cincinnati where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in 1990. He was hired full time as a Deputy Sheriff by the Clermont County Sheriff’s Department in 1989 and worked there for almost a year before coming to Springdale Police. His personal interests include the railroad industry, travel and photography. Expanding on his love for trains, he also has a sizeable model railroad spanning three rooms in his basement. Tom has served as a Police Officer, Sergeant and was promoted to his current position as Lieutenant at Springdale in 1999. Tom’s major area of study prior to promotion was in traffic safety. He serves as an Operation Lifesaver Presenter and has since 1996. That program is near and dear to him as it focuses attention on reducing the number of people killed and injured in train/vehicle collisions and being struck by trains while trespassing. In 2006, Lt. Wells was named by the Chief Laage as the Traffic Safety Coordinator/Supervisor and put in charge of development of the first traffic safety unit on the Springdale PD. In addition to the various responsibilities of his position, he is most proud of his affiliation with the Springdale Police and Hamilton County Police Association Honor Guards. He is the commander of the unit in Springdale and has brought standardized training in funeral protocol, Color Guard and fire team for weapon salutes. Lt. Wells has traveled to Washington D.C. with the HCPA unit and served on the Presidential Honor Guard for President George W. Bush in 2006 and 2007. Lt. Wells will take the Springdale Honor Guard to D.C. for their first tour of duty there in 2008. Lt. Wells is a graduate of several professional management training courses including the Certified Law Enforcement Executive and Police Executive Leadership College programs. Both courses aim to develop management and leadership skills in a Master’s Degree style educational format. His next aim is to attend the FBI National Academy in Virginia. Tom is married and has a daughter who enjoys swimming, horse back riding and American Girl dolls. They travel frequently and enjoy spending as much time as possible together. When asked to sum up his experiences, he said: “I have learned over the years that what is most important is standing up for what you believe in and never letting anyone change who you are. Respect others, be fair and maintain an upbeat attitude and you will always be surrounded by the best of the best”. For Tom, his Faith has taught him how to set the right priorities in life and be an example to exemplify what he expects from others.