Jasper Optimist Club Seeks Nominees for 2026 Respect for Law Awards

The Optimist Club of Jasper is accepting nominations through April 30 for two awards recognizing Dubois County's most committed contributors to public safety, setting the stage for a Respect for Law Dinner and Fraternal Order of Police candlelight ceremony on May 13, 2026.

The club is seeking candidates for the Outstanding Law Enforcement Award and the Respect for Law Outstanding Citizen Award. The law enforcement honor is open to any officer, on or off duty, who has shown exceptional involvement, extraordinary support, and outstanding initiative in advancing local law enforcement programs, with a particular focus on juvenile and education initiatives.

The citizen award targets a different kind of contributor: a private individual who has assisted law enforcement or worked to strengthen public safety without seeking recognition or compensation. Nominees for either award are evaluated on a set of Optimist values that includes caring, courage, integrity, openness, respect, and trustworthiness.

Together, the two awards reflect a central premise of Optimist International's Respect for Law program, which has operated in communities across the country for decades: that public safety depends on both officers who enforce the law and civilians who reinforce it. In Jasper, the annual ceremony draws civic leaders, educators, law enforcement, and families, with honorees frequently serving as local role models and helping spotlight efforts to keep youth out of the criminal-justice system.

Nomination forms are available through the Optimist Club of Jasper's website, either as an online submission or a printable mail-in version. After the April 30 deadline, a selection committee reviews submissions and notifies finalists ahead of the May 13 dinner and candlelight ceremony hosted alongside the Fraternal Order of Police.