By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Detective Alyssa Shimel brings a sense of calm to crime scenes, and works doggedly to put clues together.
On Thursday, Shimel was honored as Bowling Green Police Officer of the Year by the BG Kiwanis Club. She was nominated for the recognition by BGPD Chief Justin White.
“She has a calm demeanor in everything she does,” White said of Shimel, the Eastwood alumna who has been with BGPD for seven years. Her steadfast work ethic and tenacity are evident, the chief said.
That quiet confidence has been witnessed by Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson, who talked about encountering Shimel at a horrific crime scene at a double homicide. She was methodically collecting evidence and taking control of the scene, he said.
As she spoke to Kiwanis members on Thursday, Shimel first talked about working for the Bowling Green Police Division – where officers are encouraged to attend trainings, then share their new-found knowledge with other officers and with the community. Among her credentials are serving as a field training officer and a crisis negotiator.
“That’s a result of a collective effort” – representing a commitment to bettering their skills and services, Shimel said.
It’s that police division mindset that also encourages staff like Shimel to hold classes for university students about self defense tactics, and senior citizens about avoiding scams.
“I’m very fortunate to work for a department that encourages that,” she said.
And it’s that general philosophy that supports officers who serve the community while they’re in uniform, as well as when they are off duty, she said.
Shimel described the Bowling Green community as supportive – and having standards that it expects to be upheld.
“You guys hold us accountable,” she said. “It’s nice to hear from you guys what we can do better.”
Shimel talked about the growing number of scams being reported to police, with all ages being vulnerable. Many scams go unreported, she added.
“People are embarrassed to come report it,” she said. But they shouldn’t be, Shimel said, noting that scammers perfect their trade and target weaknesses to prey on any person.
“These guys are professionals” at taking money from people, she said. “There’s a scam out there that could get everybody in this room.”
A common scam recently has involved callers claiming to be with law enforcement or the courts, saying that the person on the other end of the call failed to show up for jury duty or has a warrant out for their arrest. In many of those cases, the caller asks the person to send money or gift cards – something real law enforcement would never do, Shimel said.
Another frequent fraud uses AI voices to sound like a relative who needs help. White warned that posting a lot of family details on social media helps the scammers create a narrative.
“Oversharing is a gold mine for someone wanting to use information against you,” he said. White suggested families create a “safe word,” that would indicate a phone call is fraudulent.
Scam emails or texts can also be detected by the sense of urgency and pressure they try to create. White suggested searching for spelling errors, weird spacing and grammar errors which could indicate a scam.
Shimel also talked about the easy access to kids afforded by technology. Giving kids connections to cell phones, computers and social media also gives the world access to the kids, she stressed.
“They want to be popular, and they think they have all these friends,” but it also makes them vulnerable to cyber-bullying, Shimel said.
She talked about the local Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the team effort put into keeping children safe.
“Crimes against children – it’s heartbreaking,” Shimel said.
