Department of Justice Announces Nomination Period for Fourth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing

Attorney General William P. Barr today announced the fourth annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, launching the nomination period for this award.  Awardees selected from nominations received during this period will be announced at a ceremony to be held later this year.

The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local or tribal sworn, rank-and-file police officers and deputies for exceptional efforts in community policing.  The awarded officer(s), deputy(ies) or trooper(s) will have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations or innovations in policing.

“Law enforcement is the toughest job in America.  The challenges our officers face on a daily basis are more complex, more difficult, and more extensive than ever before,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “We are grateful for every man and woman in blue for their dedication and sacrifice.  Among those who have answered the call of public service, several individuals in the past year performed in ways that surpassed even the highest expectations of the profession.  I look forward to recognizing these individuals with the fourth annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing.”

President Trump has established clear directives for the department – with three executive orders – demonstrating his strong support of the law enforcement community.  These executive orders commit the department to working in tandem with state and local law enforcement to restore the rule of law, reduce violent crime, dismantle criminal gangs and combat the growing drug epidemic.  Our support to the dedicated men and women of law enforcement is strong and today’s announcement is in furtherance of the president’s directives.  The Department of Justice is committed to supporting the law enforcement community that keeps this great nation safe and makes it even safer.  Today we honor our law enforcement officers by announcing the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing.

Within each category, an award will be given to law enforcement agencies serving small, medium, and large jurisdictions:

    Small: Agencies serving populations of fewer than 50,000

    Medium: Agencies serving populations of 50,000 to 250,000

    Large: Agencies serving populations of more than 250,000

By distinguishing and rewarding these efforts, the department strives to promote and sustain its national commitment to policing and to advance proactive policing practices that are fair and effective.

With the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, the Office of the Attorney General recognizes that the nation’s more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies, individual officers, deputies, and troopers are working hard to keep our communities safe.

For more information about the Attorney General’s Award and to submit an application for nominees, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/policing-award.