Bearden Chief of Police Nathan Greeley was named Officer of the Year for Ouachita County on Thursday by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.
In a new release from the Attorney General's office on Thursday said, "Attorney General Tim Griffin today honored law enforcement officers from across Arkansas at the 2024 Officer of the Year Awards luncheon."
According to the release Griffin said, "Each year we honor the service, sacrifice, and dedication of Arkansas's law enforcement with the Officer of the Year Awards. The men and women we've recognized today have shown outstanding courage and commitment to their communities in the past year. As we celebrate the ways they have gone above and beyond to keep Arkansans safe, we honor not just these few, but all law enforcement officers."
Griffin closed his statements at the luncheon saying, "As the top law enforcement officer in the state, I am committed to supporting and working with Arkansas's law enforcement community to ensure they can continue to protect and serve our citizens at the highest levels of excellence and professionalism," according to the release.
"Law enforcement continues to evolve and has changed so much even in my seventeen years of service," Greeley said. "We're at a point in our profession where community oriented policing should be our main focus in our career. Being involved and active in your community is not only self rewarding, it's a huge factor in assisting us in crime fighting. If you have a community that believes in you and trust you, you're more out to be successful and when you're successful, you're community continues to thrive.
"I have spent my entire career working hard to earn the trust and respect of my community. Winning an award like this makes me want to continue to work harder and I'm honored to be able to represent Ouachita County as one of it's best."