Police officers recognized for traffic safety enforcement and crisis intervention

by Dan Holland

Two Independence police officers – patrolmen Nicholas Amato and Nicholas Lord – were both recently honored with separate awards for outstanding service on the job.

Amato, who has been with the department since March 2024, was the recipient of the Ohio Department of Public Safety 2026 Ohio Traffic Safety Service Award presented at The Ohio State University on May 19. Fellow officer Lt. Mark Buehner nominated him for his efforts in traffic safety enforcement and education.

Lord, who joined the department in December 2024, was presented with the Crisis Intervention Team Award at the National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Cleveland annual meeting held May 6 at the Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence. Fellow officer Sgt. Jeremy Harper nominated him for the award.

Amato said his award recognizes traffic enforcement including traffic stops, being visible and informing drivers on the roadways about traffic laws. It also recognizes education, as Amato said the police department is very involved in the community.

He has engaged youth in the “Buckle Up with Brutus” program, which teaches children vital seat belt and passenger safety habits. He was also involved in a program that encourages seat belt safety for high school students. More recently, he has been involved in promoting e-bike safety.

“We give out coupons for ice cream to kids for wearing helmets on bikes. So, it’s driving safety and general safety with a collective outlook on the roads and sidewalks,” said Amato.

Lord was recognized for de-escalating a situation in September 2025 that involved a man acting in an erratic and threatening manner toward others at a Rockside Road hotel.

“We responded to a report of a 60-year-old male being very aggressive toward the patrons and work staff,” Lord recalled. “When I arrived, he was actively trying to get into a physical altercation with a patron at the hotel. So, I was able to de-escalate the situation and separate him from everyone else.”

“He seemed to possibly have some type of mental issues going on, and I was able to recognize that,” he added. “So, we just do our best to try to mitigate any problems that can happen. In the end, he did cooperate and filled out a statement, and he was cited for disorderly conduct.”

Amato and Lord both acknowledged the daily efforts of their fellow officers.

“It was an honor to receive the award, but it’s not just an individual award,” said Amato. “This is something that has my name on it, but it also has the department name on it. It’s something that’s great for our city and the police department that shows more than just doing this work myself.”

“It was great to be recognized, but as police officers, we deal with these types of situations often, and all of our officers handle similar types of situations without necessarily being recognized for it,” said Lord.

Police Chief Robert Butler said Independence officers being recognized at the state and local level for traffic safety and crisis intervention, “reinforces the core mission of the Independence Police Department: proactive protection and compassionate service.”

“While our officers do not do what they do for awards, this recognition helps show that … our officers translate elite training into real-world actions that build trust and save lives,” he said.

Photo caption: Patrol officer Nicholas Amato. Photos by Dan Holland.