(KNZA)--Special recognition was given to a Hiawatha police officer and former reserve officer during the Hiawatha City Commission meeting Tuesday evening.

Police Chief John Defore presented a certificate of commendation to Officer Janet Jeffery for going above and beyond in rendering aid to a woman suffering from heat exhaustion.

Defore says Jeffery was patrolling in the downtown when she noticed the woman bent over at a trash receptacle and stopped to see if she needed assistance. “Apparently, when she pulled in, the woman felt like she was in trouble, because in the past, this woman had been in trouble before,” Defore told the Commission. “The officer tried to help her, got her some water, got her back off the street and into an air conditioned atmosphere.  According to the officer, she started to regain some composure, felt better.  I felt that this definitely was worthy of a certificate of commendation because not every officer, I'll be honest, would probably drive by and give a second thought to someone throwing up in a trash can.”

Defore says the Kansas City woman returned to Hiawatha on August 18th to personally tell him how grateful she was for Jeffery’s actions that day.

Defore also presented a plaque to former reserve officer Mike Nigh in recognition of his 10 years of dedicated service to the program, which has since been dissolved.  “Mostly because of insurance issues, in light of some of the new requirements that are being put on states, reserve programs now require a lot more training, and so I thought the only way to meet that goal was to go with just part time officers. It saves a lot of liability to the city.”

Defore also informed the Commission that his department has been awarded a more than 82-hundred federal grant through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant program.

He says the grant, to be matched 25-percent by the police department, will be used to purchase seven new computers for the law enforcement center.