Bellefonte Detective, State Trooper Named Centre County Law Enforcement Officers of the Year

A Bellefonte detective and a Rockview state trooper both known for their compassion, diligence and determination were honored as Centre County’s Law Enforcement Officers of the Year on Tuesday.

Detective Lisa Larkin and Trooper Jonathan Hodges received the award from the Centre County District Attorney’s Office during a ceremony at the courthouse in Bellefonte.

“When we recognize these two officers, it’s really a recognition of all of the good work that law enforcement does,” said District Attorney Bernie Cantorna, who has presented the award annually since 2019. “And it’s important that we take the time to do that. It’s not a fun job. You see people at their worst. You’re there at the scene in real time. And it’s important to take time to recognize when things go well. So today is really about these two individuals and all of the people that support them in their agencies and their government, in the agencies that support the victims. It really is about everybody.”

Larkin joined the Bellefonte Police Department in 2024 and was promoted to detective a year later. First Assistant District Attorney Joshua Andrews first got to know Larkin when she was with Penn State University Police and working on a domestic violence case in 2022.

Andrews said he was immediately impressed with Larkin’s victim-centered approach and the thoroughness of her investigation.

“Then-Officer Larkin responded automatically with respect, with empathy and with compassion for this young woman, who was having one of the most horrible nights of her life,” Andrews said. “Officer Larkin gave her space to collect herself. She met her where she was at. She built trust. She built a relationship. And she never lost sight of the investigation. She understood what was important, but she understood the best way to get there.”

Anyone who works with Larkin, Andrews said, will say the same thing: that she brings compassion to her work while never losing determination.

“She is thorough without losing sight of the humanity of the person that’s in front of her,” Andrews said. “She treats everyone in her community with dignity and with respect, and she also humbly elevates all of the people that she works with.”

When Chief Bill Witmer took over leadership of the Bellefonte Police Department in 2024, he knew he wanted Larkin to fill an open officer position. And in 2025, he knew she was the person for the challenging role as the sole detective in the small department.

“When Detective Larkin began her career with the department, it was quickly noticed we had hired a seasoned officer with lots of experience and knowledge,” Witmer said. “After a short time as patrol officer, it was clear Lisa had the drive, the work ethic, the compassion to fill the open detective position… It’s an extremely important position and when this promotion was made, I knew we made right the right selection to fill the spot.”

Larkin stressed that the officer of the year honor is a credit to her colleagues.

“This is really a team effort,” Larkin said. “None of what I’ve done has been on my own… This is incredibly humbling and an honor to share this with [Hodges].”

Hodges was recognized as a skilled investigator on complex cases who builds trust with victims and witnesses while displaying a strong work ethic and constant willingness to improve.

That is evident in his work as lead investigator on a case that led to human trafficking and child sex abuse charges against four men last year, Cantorna said.

“A case of human trafficking with a young victim, they’re not easy cases,” Cantorna said. “They’re complicated. They’re hard. They take patience. They take teamwork. They take diligence. And so much goes on behind the scenes that you don’t read about when it hits the paper. It’s not easy and it’s not quick. And that diligence, that hard work and that patience are some of the character traits that Trooper Hodges brings to the table, and that he brought to the table in that case.”

Hodges and those supporting him helped the case to move forward by building trust with a girl who was reluctant to share her trauma, Cantorna added, then spent months going through “horrible evidence.”

“When we talk about a case like that, it is that diligence that brings it to the forefront,” he said. “It’s the patience and the victim-centeredness and taking time to bring somebody along that allows us to have put a stop to individuals who had been causing terror, trauma, and victimizing scores of young people in their neighborhood.”

Corporal Kelly Chambers said Hodges’ sense of humor and charisma are apparent. But behind the scenes, she sees the extra hours he puts in and commitment he has to victims and the community.

“That’s the part that people don’t always see,” Chambers said. “They see the arrests in the newspaper. They see the handshakes, the smile and the personality. But they don’t always see the countless hours, the stress, the responsibility and the genuine care that goes into the work he does every single day for citizens of this county… I can tell you that this recognition isn’t just about what he accomplished, it’s about the time, effort and dedication he puts in when nobody’s watching.”

Like Larkin, Hodges was quick to shine the spotlight on others.

“I’ve yet to do anything alone in my career, so I’ve benefited very greatly from the people around me, my coworkers, the people I work with, the people I work for,” he said. “It really is a team effort. I’m proud of the work that I’ve done, but I’m proud because of the good people that we have here doing it with me.”

Both Larkin and Hodges are the second members of their respective departments to receive the Centre County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.

PAST CENTRE COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OF THE YEAR

• 2019 – State College Officer John Aston, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jeffrey Ebeck

• 2020 – State College Detective Donald Paul, Patton Township Officer Brian Shaffer

• 2021 – State College Detective Stephen Bosak

• 2022 – State College Officers Dean Woodring, Larry Crawford, Ben Capozzi and Cameron Earnest and Lieutenant Barrett Smith

• 2023 — Ferguson Township Detective Caleb Clouse, Bellefonte Officer Macy Neideigh

• 2024 — Spring Township Detective Lucas Nelson

• 2025 — Penn State University Police Sergeant Nicholas Sproveri