Loganville reconizes two of its finest for recent honors at City Council meeting

At the final City Council meeting of 2021, Loganville officials recognized two of its Loganville police offices for recent honors they had received. Loganville Police Department’s Sgt. Dustin Peterson was recognized for being awarded November School Resource Officer of the month by the National Association of School Resource Officers. Peterson works at Loganville High School was presented with the award by the NASRO for working with Principal Brad Boleman to raise funds to replace the wheel for a student’s electric wheelchair. Peterson said at the time, “I couldn’t take watching her bounce up and down the hallway on that broken wheel any longer!”

Peterson installed the wheel himself and gave the wheelchair a tune up. In speaking to officials about the award, LPD Chief Mike McHugh noted that this was not the first time he, and in other instances,the whole Loganville SRO contingent, has been recognized nationally. The unit was developed in 2006 and in 2010, the unit was recognized by the NASRO as a top model for School Resource Units for building a bridge between students, schools and police officers. The unit also was recognized in 2014 by the National School Safety Council for their innovative initiatives geared toward keeping students engaged and involved. They had developed an application for smartphones that allowed students to report contraband or illegal activity while remaining anonymous.

LPD Officer Clint Kitchens also was recognized as the LPD Officer of the Year. In introducing him, LPD Assistant Chief Dick Lowry pointed out that he was selected by his fellow officers in a secret ballot. Lowry said he had got to meet Kitchens when he was doing a ride along with members of the department and joined them later for a fish fry. He said he realized that Kitchens would make a great fit for the department and two years in since he began working with LPD this award shows that his fellow officers agreed. Prior to working with LPD, Kitchens was with the City of Covington and has experience with SWAT as well as the drug task force and criminal investigations.

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