Name: Matt Williamson

Age: 33

Family: Wife, Lesley; and son, Tyler, 6

Occupation: Matt Williamson, a police officer for the Lincoln Police Department, was recently awarded as Officer of the Year for 2009.

How does it feel to be chosen as officer of the year?

It’s an impressive award when your peers have voted for you and recognized a year of hard work.

What is important to you about being a police officer?

I would like people to worry about living their lives and not worry about the criminal aspect of society. We definitely pride ourselves on trying to stop crime. We don’t sit around doing nothing; we try to prevent crime. There are a lot of guys driving around and criminals see cop cars and don’t like it. I pride myself on trying to make Lincoln as safe as possible.

What do you like about being a police officer in Lincoln?

Specifically for Lincoln, I like that it’s a super small town. You can make a difference and see the difference made. When I worked for the Sac County Sheriff, it was huge. Here, you can work on small projects and have very directed efforts on something. It’s nice to resolve problems for people. I think that makes people appreciate their law enforcement.

What made you want to work in Lincoln?

All the employees, everyone got along and it’s a positive environment. There is no negativity and everyone is really positive. It’s very comfortable and easy to work. I also wanted to move to the city I worked in. I’m able to watch my son play t-ball, and I got to go home and watch him open presents on Christmas. I got to go home, have breakfast and enjoy some of the day and still be at work.

What do you like to do during your time off?

I enjoy the outdoors, four-wheel driving and being out in the mountains. Our family likes to go on the Rubicon trail and likes hiking, swimming and fishing. The thing I like about four-wheel-drive is driving out and away, deeper in the forest than an average camping trip.

What would someone be surprised to learn about you?

I was a mechanic for a long time and pretty crafty with fixing cars. I wasn’t always a cop, I still model and build Jeeps and am involved in automotives. I was a mechanic for six or seven years, and six years as a cop. I wanted to be a cop in high school. In high school, it sounded cool. You have to be 21 or older to be an officer, and even when I was 21, I didn’t feel I had the maturity. When I turned 26, I said I was ready for this.

What makes you happiest?

Laughter. If I can entertain a crowd and get a whole group laughing, it’s fun. I pretty much always am smiling and making jokes. Negativity is a bad thing. Keep it positive.

If you would like to see a neighbor or friend featured here, please e-mail stephanied@goldcountrymedia.com or call Stephanie Dumm at 774-7967.