Officer Anthony Camporiale has been selected as the Police Officer and Employee of the Year for the Rockland, Maine Police Department.

Police Chief Bruce Boucher said in a news release that selection criteria for the award are based on the individual's performance of duties that demonstrate the "highest standards of competence and professionalism and commitment" to the principles of the mission of the Rockland Police Department.

As the department's D.A.R.E. officer, Camporiale has conducted substance abuse prevention classes for hundreds of fifth-grade students within the school district.

Chief Boucher said, "He consistently exhibits compassion, understanding, and a sense of fairness to all those he encounters.

"I find that he is a positive role model for others to follow," Boucher said.