UPPD officers ride to success at Police Olympic Games

Det. Commander Tom King and Sgt. John Washington took high honors at the Police Olympics in Lancaster, Pa. They may not be the most celebrated athletes at Penn, but two men brought several awards back to the University from a state-wide competition at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., on June 12 and 13. These men, University Police Detective Commander Tom King and Sergeant John Washington, competed in the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Olympics, which featured events that ranged from cycling and running to darts and bowling. In the pouring rain, Washington, the bike patrol supervisor for the Penn Police, ran away with first place in the 5K race and finished second in the 8.5 mile mountain bike race. Although he finished second overall, he did take first place in his age group. "Some young whippersnapper from out-of-state won the mountain bike race," 37-year old Washington said. "It tells me I'm in pretty good shape if I can hang with a kid that young." King, who is completing his first year as detective commander, also performed well, finishing fifth overall and second in his age group in the 5K race, as well as third in his age group in the mountain bike race. Competition is nothing new for members of the Penn Police Department. Washington has competed in several national competitions. Last year, he teamed with Sergeant Mike Fink to win five trophies at a competition of over 300 riders in Baltimore that he described as "the most competitive on the East Coast." "To walk away with trophies at Baltimore is the optimum," Washington said. In addition to these competitions, however, Washington has also ridden in the International Police Olympics, an event which features thousands of officers from many countries. In 1996, Washington won a silver medal in the five mile race at the Olympics in Salt Lake City. He is not competing in this year's Olympics in the United Arab Emirates, but hopes to compete at the 2000 Games in Stockholm, Sweden. King, although not as experienced in competition as Washington, is no stranger to athletic success. A boxer in college, King now describes himself as "more of a weekend warrior," noting that he is unable to work out as much as he would like because of his schedule. Despite this, King still logs many miles on his bike every weekend and often arrives at Penn at 6 a.m. to get a workout in before work. "I don't like to go more than two days without working out," King said. "It is a stress reliever and it helps my overall fitness, but it also allows me to eat and drink pretty much whatever I want." These workouts may have helped King and Washington several weeks ago when they competed in the First Annual Philadelphia Police Olympics. "There is a big rivalry between us and the city," said King, a member of the Philadelphia Police Department for 20 years before he came to Penn. "Sometimes a friendly rivalry," Washington jokingly added. At this particular competition, it was the Penn officers who came out on top. In a race of 65 riders, Washington placed second with King right behind him in third place. The finishes earned the two-man Penn team a first place award in the team competition. While the purpose of the various events is competition, both officers quickly recognize the other benefits of the Police Olympics. The events allow the Penn officers to meet officers from police departments across the country and to develop friendships. The training also assists them in their daily work as police officers. "There have been a number of times when I've surprised a suspect by riding him down or catching him on foot," Washington said. Although King and Washington are happy to represent the department, they wish more would join them. "It's disappointing that we can only send two from a department of 100 officers," Washington said. The Penn police department may only be able to send two officers to these athletic events, but these two officers seem to be doing a pretty good job by themselves -- at work and at play.