SPANISH FORK -- A veteran Spanish Fork police officer has been named Officer of the Year by the American Legion Utah department.

John M. Williams, commander of the American Legion Post 68 in Spanish Fork, said Lt. Brandon Anderson was nominated for the award because of his commitment to his duty and the community. Anderson is consistently friendly and professional on the job and continues to serve Spanish Fork when he is off-duty, Williams said.

"Not a lot of them get into the community and do work," he said. "But he's a community guy."

Anderson has volunteered for youth baseball and football in Spanish Fork and frequently serves the elderly in his spare time, service that weighs heavily in the process of choosing an Officer of the Year. Williams said officials also look closely at heroic acts, which Anderson is no stranger to, though he may not admit it.

Williams noted an incident several years ago in which a young girl fell out of a truck into the street while the vehicle was traveling close to 35 miles per hour. Anderson was on patrol and saw the child fall in his rear-view mirror and immediately jumped to the unconscious girl's rescue.

Anderson said the small girl had climbed onto the truck's bumper as it was leaving her home, and the occupants never knew she was there. Even after the accident, it took hours to find her family.

Without Anderson's care during and after the accident, the results may have been much more dire.

"If he hadn't been alert, the child could have been run over, critically injured or killed," he said.

Anderson, however, said he was shocked to learn he had won the award. Nothing he has done over the years has been too spectacular, he said.

"I just try to go out and do my job the best I can," he said.

Born and raised in Spanish Fork, Anderson said he loves his job and enjoys working with the community where he grew up. Knowing so many people in the community can be a double-edged sword when on duty, but Anderson said he believes it has helped him in his job. What he has enjoyed the most over the years has been the satisfaction of helping people, he said.

"I like to be able to help people, whether they are a victim of a crime or in an accident," he said.

Police Chief Dee Rosenbaum said Anderson has had just about every assignment on the force over the last 14 years. In every position he has held, Anderson was exceptional, he said.

"We're obviously very proud of him," Rosenbaum said. "He's one of our top officers."

Anderson has been part of the D.A.R.E. program and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force, and in both cases, he excelled, Rosenbaum said. The children loved him, and the task force didn't want to give him up when it was time for a new assignment.

Rosenbaum said Anderson has had success in his job because he is compassionate. He is straightforward and honest, and even suspects often know he wants to help them. There are numerous letters in Anderson's personnel file from citizens who appreciated his help, he said.

"It appears to me that his goal is always to help these people better themselves," Rosenbaum said.

As the Officer of the Year for Utah, Anderson will now go up against officers from around the country, and the American Legion will choose a national winner in November.

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