Bethel Police Sergeant Courtney Whaley is the Exchange Club 2018 Officer of the Year.  Whaley served as an SRO for the Bethel Middle School starting in 2016 and volunteered with the Youth Bureau activities and investigations when they were short staffed.  She was then formally assigned to the Detective Bureau.  In October 2018 Whaley took the Sergeants test and came out 1st and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  She was awarded the CHAMP Award (C-Commitment, H-Honesty, A-Attitude, M-Motivator, P-Pride) by the Bethel Public Schools and was awarded 2nd place overall at the Fairfield County Detectives Conference.   Whaley was recognized for making victims feel safe and cared for, while obtaining confessions from offenders who have sexually abused children.