Goshen Township Police Department

Officer Keith Clonch Named '2008 Trafficer Officer of the Year'

It's nothing new for Officer Keith Clonch to be recognized for his efforts to make Goshen's roads safer. Just last year Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) named Officer Clonch their '2007 Top Cop.' But this year's award was extra special. It comes from the Clermont County Citizens Law Enforcement Association, and Clonch's own co-workers nominated him for it.

"It feels good to be recognized by your supervisor for your work," Clonch said. But he doesn't want the credit all to himself, "This is very much a team effort. We all work together."

Clonch's primary duties are not traffic based; all of his stops and enforcements come during the down time between other police calls. According to Clonch, these traffic stops aren't always independent of other crimes. He says by making the stops, police are able to track the routes of other more serious offenses, including the routes drug traffickers use to bring drugs into the community.

Chief Ray Snyder said of Clonch, " He has a very aggressive, assertive style of policing when it comes to DUI's. It's hard to say how many serious accidents he may have prevented over the years."

Clonch said DUI offenses hit home with him, because they can cause so much tragedy, and are so easily preventable. He notes the Township's fatal accidents rate where alcohol is involved has declined over the past several years.

Clonch says a tight knit team attitude is to thank, " We are a small [police] agency. But we make a big impact on the community."

Officer Clonch has been with the department since 2005.

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