At the City Council meeting of Sept. 9, 2025, City of Monroe Council Members welcomed new employees, celebrated work anniversaries, and recognized outstanding service from across the City.
Police Department recognitions
Two Monroe Police officers were honored for actions that directly saved lives.
Officer Tristan Shea was named Officer of the Month for September for his response to a violent incident on May 31, when fellow Officer Madison Sweatt was shot while on duty. Though his own shift had ended, Shea ran toward the danger. He confronted and stopped the shooter, preventing further harm, and stayed at Sweatt’s side until help arrived.
Sweatt wrote to City leaders that she believes Shea’s quick actions and decision to step in saved her life. “His swift intervention was pivotal in ensuring my survival,” her statement read. “I firmly believe that without his actions, the outcome could have been tragic.”
Monroe Police Chief Rhett Bolen described Officer Shea’s choices that night as the definition of courage under pressure.
“Officer Shea’s courageous and decisive actions were instrumental in saving the life of another officer,” Chief Bolen said. “His actions reflect not only bravery and sound judgment, but also an unwavering commitment to duty, even when his shift had ended.”
Officer Niklas Tarczynski received the department’s Life Saving Award for his actions during a medical emergency on Aug. 29. Arriving at a parking lot where an elderly man had collapsed, Tarczynski recognized that CPR being performed wasn’t effective and took over. His efforts brought the man’s pulse back before paramedics arrived, and the patient was later reported to be recovering well.
“Your heroic actions will always be remembered,” said Chief Bolen as he handed the award to Tarczynski.
The Chief also read an excerpt of an email from Becky Wicker, the Nurse Manager at Metrolina Nephrology in Monroe.
“Chief Bolen, I just want to send you a quick email to thank your Officers for their quick response to an emergency in our parking lot. One of our patients collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest in the parking lot… One of the officers jumped in and relieved one of our physicians who was doing chest compressions… in this day and time, people are so quick to criticize police officers. You guys have such a difficult job. You never know what kind of situation you are going to encounter. It is comforting for me to know that I work in a city where the police are so responsive… please pass along to them that the patient did survive.”
Energy Services Achievements
The City’s Energy Services Department received recognition in two statewide programs:
The Carolina Public Gas Association’s T.R.U.S.T. Award for outstanding performance in safety, training, community outreach and environmental responsibility
Three ElectriCities Public Power Awards of Excellence, reflecting achievements in system reliability, community connection and workforce investment
Finance Department recognition
The Payment Center division of Monroe's Finance department was recognized for reaching a record-high 99.57% tax collection rate for fiscal year 2025, a gain over the previous year and the highest in the City’s history.