Ferguson Township Constable Council Nedd II has been named the national Constable/Marshal of the Year by his peers.
Nedd received the honor from the National Constable and Marshals Association during its 48th annual training conference on Aug. 12 in Allen, Texas.
He is the first Pennsylvania constable to receive the award since the 1980s.
“It is with great pleasure that I was able to award Council Nedd II with the National Constable of the Year award for 2021,” James Brawner, president of the association and a Brazoria County, Texas constable, said in a statement. “His service and sacrifice to his community is second to none and keeps with the high standards that emulate what the Constabulary should represent.”
Nedd, the only Black elected official in Centre County, has been constable for Ferguson Township since 2016.
Pennsylvania constables are elected to their positions and are sworn law enforcement officers with authority to make arrests for crimes committed in their presence or by warrant.
As Ferguson Township constable, Nedd’s duties include serving warrants for district courts and civil court summons; conducting patrols for communities, homeowner associations, apartments and businesses; de-escalating neighborhood disputes; keeping the peace at events; and assisting other law enforcement agencies as needed.
Nominators noted that Nedd has gone above and beyond by being a community resource who provides assistance to residents.
“Constable Nedd has worked tirelessly to increase professional standards, not just in Pennsylvania, but across this country,” Marshal Charlie Caldwell, of Shreveport, Louisiana, said, “During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Constable Nedd was continually in his community making sure people didn’t go without needed essentials. He is an asset to the profession.”
He has held events to foster positive relationships, such as “Christmas with the Constable, where he gave local children gift cards and took them shopping with their parents at Walmart.
“I’m honored and humbled to be receiving such an important award,” Nedd said. “To be named 2021 Constable-Marshal of the Year is an honor considering the company in which I now find myself. I did not win this alone. I could not have been as impactful without the assistance of my team. They helped generate ideas and helped motivate me and put the ideas into motion. I am thankful for the recognition I have received from my peers. I enjoy the work I do in my community, state and for the National Constable and Marshals Association. I am very sure that other nominees for this award were equally worthy of this recognition.
“Pennsylvania constables often get a bad rap. Since getting elected to office I have only wanted to embody what’s best about this job and office and provide a positive example. The Ferguson Township Constable’s Office exists to work for and serve this community.”
In addition to his work as constable, Nedd is also the rector of St. Alban’s Anglican Church in Pine Grove Mills.
