St. Paul Police Sgt. Mark Ficcadenti was named Minnesota’s “Officer of the Year” Sunday by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.

He’s a patrol supervisor in the department’s West District and was honored for his work in community outreach and community policing.

The association says he organized an East African Junior Police Academy for young East Africans interested in law enforcement. He’s a contact between the police department and the Somali community, and has arranged meetings with “Imams and elders on a regular basis to discuss important topics such as recruitment of youth for terrorism and job opportunities for all,” the group said.

“Sgt. Ficcadenti takes to heart what it means to be a police officer working with those he serves in all communities of the city,” said Dennis Flaherty, the association’s executive director.

Also honored by the association were:

• Minnesota State Trooper Brian Beuning, who rescued a woman whose vehicle was stuck in heavy flooding on I-90 near Beaver Creek.
• St. Paul Police Officer Mark Ross, who helped identify a father who was sexually abusing his daughter.