Educational facilities officer P.J. Gregory and crossing guard Patricia Ford are this year's recipients of the Lieutenant John M. Queen Outstanding Service Award.

The awards recognize members of the Montgomery County law enforcement community for the outstanding service they have provided to Montgomery County Public Schools during the school year. They were presented on June 29 at the annual breakfast meeting of MCPS and the Montgomery County Department of Police.

In his role as educational facilities officer in the Quince Orchard Cluster, Gregory conducts mediations at Quince Orchard High School, meets with students one-on one, and takes a special interest in working with security and administration in bringing parents together to resolve conflicts and discuss community issues. He has given presentations to staff, parents, and students and developed and presented a video for students about driving and safety awareness. At Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, he spoke with fifth graders every week for two months last spring on topics ranging from the importance of an education to the dangers of cigarettes. He even plays the saxophone with the Ridgeview Middle School jazz band.

Ford, a crossing guard who works at a congested intersection in front of Ashburton Elementary School, was recognized for her outstanding commitment to students and the school community. Throughout her 10 years of working with MCPS, Ford was noted for her unblemished safety record and concern for the safety of students. Ford performs a number of community crossing guard duties, such as supervising the patrol picnic and guarding at the high school booster club race. She also serves as a role model for the group of fifth grade student patrols that she supervises. An anonymous donor has set up a scholarship fund in Ford's name that is awarded each year to a deserving patrol.

They Lieutenant John M. Queen Award was initiated in July 2003 to honor Montgomery County Police Lieutenant John Queen, who died in 2001. Queen was the officer in charge of the School Safety Section and played a leading role in establishing and implementing the Montgomery County Police Crossing Guard program.