South Strand Optimist Club recognizes law enforcement | Strand Notebook

The South Strand Optimist Club recognized law enforcement officers, nominated by their departments, for their work with youth at a June 16 meeting.

Horry County Police Department nominated its Beach Patrol Division, supervised by Cpl. Torry Lewis, for superior service in aiding and assisting youth. This year, it conducts its 17th annual Jr Life Guard Program. More than 80 fifth-graders from St. James, Seaside and Forestbrook Elementary Schools participate in the program annually. Students must show instructors their abilities in the water and in the classroom. They swim laps, tread water, as well as understand water and wind issues on the beach, aquatic life, and different aquatic activities that occur in this area of the coast. Certified in CPR, these students learn to save their own lives and the lives of others. Cpl Lewis organizes and instructs all youth education events to include Jr. Life Guard, school presentations and public kid’s festivals.

Sgt. Clayton Naar was nominated by Pawleys Island Police Chief Michael Fanning. Naar has been with the department since 1998. He spent 24 years as a police officer in the Detroit Police Department. The final five years, he was assigned to the Youth Bureau where he investigated gangs, crimes committed by juveniles, and acted as a liaison with the court system. He brought his Detroit experiences with youth to Pawleys Island and has tried to steer troubled youth in the right direction.

Officer Kimberly Decker was nominated by Surfside Beach Police Chief Rodney Keziah. Decker finds time in her busy life to work with kids in several ways, including coaching softball for the Surfside Youth Sports Association’s recreational league and the girls 14U Surfside Beach “Slammers: softball travel team. She recently visited pre-K kids at the Surfside Baptist Church, and volunteered to attend Autism Awareness Training.

Georgetown Middle School Resource Officer Teresa Walker, nominated by City of Georgetown Police Department Captain Robert Small, “approaches her duty as a caring surrogate mother and has an outstanding ability to recognize when a child is masking troubles or conflict and is a loving spirit to guide them through their troubles. She takes the initiative in collecting Christmas gifts for kids whose families might not be able to give them much, and helps them feel the joy other kids feel at Christmas. She helps coordinate a summer camp for less fortunate kids, and does many other things to enhance the lives of children.

Corporal Harold “Corky” Connor, a corrections officer at the J Reuben Long Detention Center transportation division, was nominated by Horry County Sheriff Philip Thompson. “Corporal Connor is a Christian man who has a genuine love and passion to help children of all ages,” Thompson wrote. Connor works with the 15th Judicial Circuit’s Juvenile Division Program which serves as a second chance for juveniles as an alternative to prosecution in a family court. Making himself available at all hours to parents and juveniles, Connor “believes children’s lives matter and their future depends on us.”

Rosemary Middle School Resource Officer Amanda Glover, nominated by Georgetown County Sheriff A. Lane Cribb, keeps a clothes closet at the school to make sure children have good clothes and shoes to wear. She collects lost and found clothing, takes it home, washes and dries it, and brings it back for the closet. She accepts donations and purchases clothing for kids who need it. She is a strong advocate for the students. “She is a true asset to the community and tirelessly works for the betterment of our future, which are the children of this county,” Cribb wrote.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "South Strand Optimist Club recognizes law enforcement | Strand Notebook."