GREENE – The Village of Greene’s newest police officer received an unexpected honor when he graduated from the Otsego County Law Enforcement Academy earlier this month. Officer Scott Hubbard received not only his certificate on Jan. 17, but he also had the distinction of being the first recipient of the Aldo A. Rossi Jr. Award.

The award, for which Hubbard was selected by his fellow cadets, was given in honor of the Port Dickinson officer killed by a drunk driver last year. Rossi graduated from the academy in 2005, and was the first of its graduates to have been killed in the line of duty.

“To be honored by the people I went to school with was truly touching,” Hubbard said. “I can’t believe the rest of the students gave me that honor.”

Officer Rossi’s widow, Renee, presented the award to Hubbard; a moment he described as “very emotional.”

Hubbard entered the academy in April of last year to fulfill what he described as a “lifelong dream” to be in law enforcement. While he was sponsored by the village police department, he paid his own tuition and fees. One of the most significant expenses he incurred was traveling back and forth to Oneonta three times a week. According to Hubbard, the commute put 9,300 miles on his vehicle.