Edina Police Department in Running for Freedom Award

The is a finalist for a nationwide award recognizing organizations who provide exceptional support to employees who are National Guard and Reserve members.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR)—a Department of Defense agency promoting a culture of support to employees' military service—announced this week that the Edina Police Department is one of 133 semifinalists for its annual Freedom Award.

The ESGR honors 15 employers from across the U.S. every year with the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest honor given by the government to employers for supporting active members of the Guard and Reserve in the workplace.

The Edina Police Department is one of two Minnesota employers chosen as semifinalists for the award, the other being Minneapolis-based Parsons Electric. ESGR will announce the finalists and award-winners later this summer.

Police Chief Jeff Long said he and the department are "very appreciative of the acknowledgement," noting the award carries added significance because the nomination comes directly from the Guard members.

"I am happy we could do our part in supporting our military members," Long said. "They have a very tough job and I am glad we were able to support them. They are really the ones who deserve recognition, not the employer."

Two members of the Edina Police Department are presently members of the National Guard, according to Long.

Long said the department also owes a great deal of thanks to City Manager Scott Neal and the City Council for being equally supportive of the department's military members and veterans.

ESGR National Chair James Rebholz applauded the efforts of the 133 semifinalists, saying the ESGR "salutes these patriotic employers for their special care of their Guard and Reserve employees and their families while they serve our Nation in times of war and peace."

"The employers selected as Freedom Award semifinalists have distinguished themselves for their support of their National Guard and Reserve employees, and are truly serving our Nation with their extraordinary commitment to these special employees," he said.

The Freedom Award was first instituted in 1996 by the ESGR. In the years since, a grand total of 160 employers have been honored with the award.