By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor 

Since he was a child, Macomb Police Academy graduate Carson Washburn always knew he wanted to become a police officer. So, when he was presented the Robert Figurski Award at graduation, he was especially proud to be recognized for his performance in the academy.

“I know I looked into a posted article about that early on in the academy. It seems like a very honorable (award), and when I heard I received it, I was very honored and thankful,” Washburn said.

The $500 Robert Figurski Award, sponsored by the POLC, is awarded twice annually at the discretion of the police academy to graduating cadets. To qualify, cadets must pass the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) certification test and meet MCOLES employment standards for certified Michigan Law Enforcement Officers.

The 24-year-old was chosen for the Figurski Award from among six pre-service cadets and 13 agency-sponsored cadets who graduated on Dec. 13, 2024. He received a 3.3 GPA at the academy and earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Madonna University.

“Officer Washburn is a hardworking, dedicated young man who displayed outstanding grades as a pre-service cadet,” said Macomb Community College Police Academy Director Michael Ciaramitaro. “He was dedicated not only to performing well in the hands-on areas of the Police Academy, but strived academically to achieve high performance.”

As a child, whenever he was asked to create a poster of his dream career for a school assignment, his drawings depicted police work. While he didn’t know any officer in particular, Washburn’s father and grandfather both have military backgrounds. His dad, Robert G. Washburn, recently retired after working as a civilian electrical engineer for 29 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His grandfather, Robert Washburn, served as a U.S. Marine Lance Corporal. “It was just seeing police officers out and about and respecting them and looking up to them,” he said of his desire to become a law enforcement officer. “It’s always been something I wanted to do since kindergarten.” 

In December, Washburn was sworn in as a Chesterfield Township Police Officer. His first day on the job with the POLC-represented Patrol unit was Jan. 6, 2025. As he gets started in his career, he said he will likely use the Figurski Award funding to further enhance his skills.

 “I will probably use it to get more training on law enforcement specific firearms and tactical training. There’s a firing range I go to pretty often and they offer law enforcement specific classes and at Macomb Police Academy they offer active law enforcement classes as well,” Washburn said. “Sometimes the department will pay for those, but other times you just have to go out on your own and pay for them.”

His desire to obtain additional training outside of his department displays his strong motivation to be as prepared as possible as a rookie officer. 

“Officer Washburn was one of the leaders in the Police Academy, displaying the exemplary behavior as he progressed through the program,” Ciaramitaro said.

 “I realized how crazy vast of a profession it is — how many different hats you have to wear,” Washburn said. “People just expect you to show up to their situation and handle it no matter what it is. Macomb Police Academy trained me very well and I’m as excited as ever to start working in the field!”