Two Warren County law enforcement officers were recognized recently by the Great Rivers Regional CIT Council, with one officer receiving the group’s highest honor.

Warren County Sheriff Cpl. Michael Pelton was honored with the Ryan Kendall Outstanding Service Award, while Wright City Police Officer William Ingrassia received the council’s officer recognition award at the organization’s annual banquet held Oct. 2.

The Ryan Kendall Outstanding Service Award is the highest honor the council bestows each year and is named in honor of the late son of council chair Sgt. Robert Kendall of O’Fallon.

Pelton, who has been with the sheriff’s office since the fall of 2016, said he was honored for a particular incident of crisis intervention in May 2025 that he said he couldn’t discuss in detail.

He was modest in discussing what he could of the incident saying that he was confident other deputies would have handled the situation much the same way.

“I did what I was trained to do,” Pelton said, adding that he got the subject the mental health he needed.

He said that when officers deal with people suffering through crisis, it is their worst moment.

“We use our training to resolve the situation and to connect them to resources to help them through that crisis,” he said.

When discussing crisis intervention, Pelton said not all situations can be solved at the time. Sometimes it requires follow up after the fact to help those facing a crisis find the resources they need. He said often they see the same people over and over who are not seeking help to resolve their issues, which can make the job difficult.

When asked what his favorite part of the job is, Pelton said he loves talking with people.

“I love genuinely helping people out where I can,” Pelton said, adding that he feels the focus of the job is working for the general good of the public.

Officer Ingrassia said this was his third officer recognition award through the CIT program. Ingrassia said he has been in law enforcement since 1995 and during his career has worked for the Foristell Police Department, Warren County Sheriff’s Department and now with Wright City.

When asked about the importance of the award, Ingrassia said, “It means a lot to me personally.”

Ingrassia, who said he considers himself a peacekeeper, said his first two awards involved crisis intervention involving potential jumpers. This most recent award he said recognizes him for his work with autistic children in Wright City.

“The greatest thing about police work is you never know what to expect from one shift to the next,” Ingrassia said.

Ingrassia said that in his 30 years in law enforcement he has seen a lot change with respect to law enforcement issues due to growth and demographic shifts. He also touted the quality of the police officers in Warren County, noting that there have been a lot of positive changes in law enforcement in the county.

The Great Rivers Regional CIT Council represents officers in Warren, Lincoln and St. Charles counties.