It appears that many in the Bridgeport Police Department understand more than just law enforcement. You can now count pasta as one of their specialties.

 

On Sunday, volunteers from the department including a host of the staff’s lieutenants were joined by Chief John Walker, Deputy Chief Randy Hartley and a host of offers and managed to raise $3,900 in their Derek Hotsinpiller Memorial Scholarship Fund Spaghetti Dinner to benefit the James and Derek Hotsinpiller Scholarship Fund.

 

“We’re very happy with how things turned out,” said Hartley. “I think we raised more than any of us thought, but part of that is because no one really has been involved in something like this before.”

 

Hartley said the group took their marching orders from the head of the Harrison County Drug Task Force. The officer, Hartley said, knew what he was doing.

 

“He had it very well organized,” said Hartley. “Our biggest problem was that we had more of a crowd that we thought we might have and had to make a few runs to the grocery store to pick up supplies. It worked out well and benefitted a great cause.”

 

The scholarship fund is named in honor of the late Lt. James Hotsinpiller. The elder Hotsinpiller was a highly respected member of the Bridgeport Police Department that passed away in 2001. His son Derek was a U.S. Marshal killed in the line of duty in 2011. James’ Hotsinpiller’s eldest son Dustin, who worked for the Bridgeport Police Department for a number of years, joined the U.S. Marshal’s service after the passing of his brother.

 

The fund provides scholarships to seniors from the Harrison County schools that plan on entering into criminal justice or social sciences. Information about the fund can be found HERE.

 

Hartley thanks numerous sponsors for assisting in the event. He said it helped tremendously in being able to provide such a large donation for their first-ever event. The sponsors include Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A, Andy and Lisa Lang, McDonald’s, Premier Medical Group. R.D. Wilson, Tomaro’s Bakery, Melinda Lindsey, Third Millennium Marketing, Oliverio’s Ristorante, Ryan Hamrick, Don Burton and the staff of Bridgeport Parks and Recreation and several others.

 

“We had a lot of tickets sold before the dinner and a lot of people paid (Sunday). We also had a lot of folks donate, including a lot of people within our own department,” said Hartley. “From that we were able to provide a nice donation.”

 

Hartley wasn’t sure how many meals were fixed. He did say it was steady in the basement of the Benedum Civic Center throughout the day. He said a decision hasn’t been made on whether to make it an annual event.