Full announcement from the Asheville Police Department:

Sgt. Louis Tomasetti of the Asheville Police Department received the “2012 Gang Investigator of the Year” award from the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association (NCGIA). The award was presented to him at the association’s annual awards banquet on August 14, 2012 in Greensboro.

The NCGIA award criteria for each category is stringent, and the awards submitted for 2012 show the commitment that the recipients have in the fight against gangs in North Carolina. Each award is carefully considered and voted on by an awards committee comprised of members of the NCGIA Board. The award is based on such factors as gang prevention and suppression efforts, notable investigations, community gang awareness efforts and cooperation with community groups and other law enforcement agencies.

Sgt. Tomasetti has 7 years of experience with the Asheville Police Department. He was assigned as the department’s first gang investigator in January of 2008. During his time as a gang investigator, he identified numerous gang members and led investigations on gang members who committed violent crimes in our community. He has assisted “Changing Together,” which is a local organization that serves at-risk youth to provide better alternatives and promote positive peer relationships. He has also conducted dozens of community presentations to better educate the public about gang activity in Western North Carolina.

Over the last year Sgt. Tomasetti made 56 arrests, issued 19 citations, and was the primary investigators in 96 cases. His total case clearance rate was 75%, with 57 cases cleared by arrest. Both of these numbers are above average and impressive given the types of cases that he was assigned. Many of those cases were armed robberies or shootings where the victim was reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement. When he is off-duty, he volunteers time with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Western North Carolina.