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Awards

SEARCH Annual Awards Spotlight Contributions, Commitment to Justice and Public Safety

For a quarter century, SEARCH has honored the achievements of justice leaders and professionals with two prestigious annual awards that reflect our involvement in major national initiatives and collaborative partnerships with national organizations, legislative leaders, and justice and public safety agencies at all levels.

Each award is selected by the SEARCH Board of Directors early in the year and is handed out at ceremonies coinciding with SEARCH's Membership Group Meetings. Individuals are nominated by SEARCH Members and by past award recipients.

SEARCH is pleased to announce its award recipients for 2009:
  • Mr. Thomas E. Bush III, Assistant Director (retired), Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who was selected to receive the 2010 O.J. Hawkins Award for Innovative Leadership and Outstanding Contributions in Criminal Justice Information Systems, Policy and Statistics.
  • Mr. Mike Lesko, Deputy Assistant Director, Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Records Service, who was selected to receive the 2010 Gary R. Cooper Meritorious Service Award.

The awards will be presented at the Annual SEARCH Membership Group Meeting in Burlington, Vermont, on July 27, 2010.

2010 Hawkins Award

The O.J. Hawkins Award is SEARCH's highest honor, formally acknowledges an individual's service, dedication and contributions that have improved the justice community's ability to develop and use criminal justice information. In particular, past recipients of the O.J. Hawkins Award have made outstanding contributions that have a broad-ranging impact, often affecting multiple states, justice disciplines or branches of government.

It is the only nationally recognized, competitive award for contributions in the field of criminal justice information management, and is named for Orville J. (Bud) Hawkins, who was SEARCH's first Chairman and Executive Director.


Thomas E. Bush III
The 2010 O.J. Hawkins Award selectee, Mr. Bush, had a distinguished career with the FBI of more than decades. He was cited for his leadership in developing and maintaining the infrastructure of critical national information sharing systems, such as:
  • The National Crime Information Center, NCIC
  • The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, IAFIS
  • The National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS
  • Uniform Crime Reporting, UCR
  • Law Enforcement Online, LEO
  • Law Enforcement National Data Exchange, N-DEx

Mr. Bush was nominated for the award by previous Hawkins Award Recipients David R. Loesch (2002), Assistant Director (former), FBI CJIS Division, and Mr. Roy G. Weise (2007), Senior CJIS Advisor, FBI CJIS Division.

2010 Cooper Award

The Gary R. Cooper Award honors a SEARCH Member whose work in the field of criminal justice information systems, policy or statistics has been outstanding. The Award, renamed in 2003 to honor long-time SEARCH Executive Director Gary R. Cooper (retired), enables SEARCH Members to recognize one of their colleagues for contributions both to the field of criminal justice information and to the success of SEARCH.


Mike Lesko
The 2010 Cooper Award selectee, Mr. Lesko, is a seven-year governor-appointed representative to the SEARCH Membership Group and current member of the SEARCH Board of Directors.

He is being recognized for his leadership and participation on numerous committees, including a wide range of SEARCH task forces, the FBI National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council, and the FBI CJIS Advisory Policy Board.

In particular, his willingness to offer insight and knowledge to SEARCH Membership Group meeting and task force discussions was cited for recognition. He was nominated for the Award by fellow SEARCH Member Dawn Peck, Manager of the Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification.

Past recipients of the Gary R. Cooper Meritorious Service Award have represented state-level justice and public safety agencies and programs in 18 states and the District of Columbia.