Patrolman Neil Thompson
A scholarship previously available to sons and daughters of LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office personnel is now open to all LaPorte County high school seniors pursuing studies in a criminal justice-related field.
Seniors may now apply for the $1,000 Neil Thompson Memorial Scholarship by picking up an application form at the sheriff’s office front desk in the LaPorte County Complex.
The scholarship was established soon after the 1980 death of Patrolman Neil Thompson, the only officer from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office to be killed in the line of duty. Thompson, 30 at the time of his death, was killed when a suspect fleeing other officers in a stolen ambulance intentionally rammed his patrol car. The driver was convicted of manslaughter. Thompson had served with the sheriff’s department for three years and was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. In 2002, Ind. 39 from U.S. 6 to U.S. 30 was dedicated the Neil G. Thompson Memorial Highway.
Funds to maintain the annual scholarship come from donations as well as proceeds from the annual Sheriff’s Christmas Show.
This year, Sheriff John Boyd expanded the field of potential scholarship recipients. “The scholarship fund has done really well in recent years. The administrators at our office decided this would be a great opportunity to expand the offering and include the general public,” Boyd said in a press release.
The $1,000 scholarship is offered to any current LaPorte County student who will be graduating in 2015 and intends to pursue studies in criminal justice. Applicants will be required to write an essay on why they want to pursue such a career. The essay should be no fewer than 500 words. Applicants will also need to show proof that they have been accepted to a college and enrolled in courses related to criminal justice and/or law enforcement. The deadline for the application to be received is April 15, 2015.
A panel consisting of the sheriff’s office’s three school resource officers — Deputy Marvin McCoy, Deputy Jon Burger and Deputy Scott Lanoue — as well as their supervisor, Captain Michael Kellems, will review the applications and select the recipient. The scholarship recipient will be recognized at the annual Peace Officers Memorial held by the sheriff’s office in May.
“We are excited for this new opportunity as I am a strong believer in post-high school education and the opportunities presented by obtaining a college education,” Boyd said. “The fact that this also honors a fallen policeman is an added bonus and we hope that there will be many La Porte County students who will take advantage of this scholarship.”
For more information, contact Captain Michael Kellems at 219.326.7700 extension 2327, or via email at mkellems@lcso.in.gov.