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Alcohol and Drug Services of Richmond County will be holding an officer award ceremony on Oct. 25 at Leath Memorial Library. Twenty awards will be given out to local officers in honor of their service to the surrounding community.

“We would like for the community to nominate law enforcement officers that they feel have gone above and beyond to protect our community,” said Brenda David of Alcohol and Drug Services.

The awards are presented in honor of October’s Red Ribbon month, a time when people wear red ribbons to honor Agent Enrique S. “Kiki” Camarena, an 11 year veteran agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration who was kidnapped, brutally tortured and murdered in Mexico in 1985 while working undercover gathering information and evidence about drug lords. Agent Camarena paid the ultimate sacrifice, and millions of Americans who wear these ribbons visibly take a stand that they are opposed to illicit drug use and commemorate all of those who have been tragically affected by the results of use and abuse.

The Enrique S. Camarena Award can be presented to a member of any local law enforcement agency who best exemplifies the qualities and principles for which Agent Camarena gave his life. Nominees should be involved in their community’s efforts to make them drug-free. Nominees should have the support of their agency/business and respect of their community.

Some criteria to consider in completing the application include:

Nominations should be no more than 2 pages, single spaced in 12 font.

A description of the nominees’ accomplishments in his/her assignment, contributions to their agency and their community.

This award should be presented to an individual, not an organization. Consideration will be given to a “team” within an organization.

The nominee should be involved in law enforcement.

The nominee should be devoted to living a healthy lifestyle.

The nominee should have made an outstanding contribution to the field of drug awareness/prevention.

Ideally, the nominee has been identified as someone who has “gone above and beyond” their normal duties — someone who has made a difference.

If selected, the nominee should be available to attend the awards ceremony.

The nominee should exemplify the standards by which Kiki Camarena lived, worked and died — that one person can make a difference.

According to David, all nominations must be submitted by Oct. 12, and should include the officer’s name, job title, how long they have been on the force, from which office they work (Rockingham or Hamlet), and why this person deserves the award.

Nominations must have some dealing in the substance abuse awareness, David added, such as speaking at schools, setting up booths at events, talking to kids with encouragement or being a positive role model in the community.

Those interested can send their nominations to Alcohol and Drug Services, C/O Brenda David, 200 East Green St., Suite A, Rockingham, NC 28379, or email them to bdavid@adsyes.org.

The officer award ceremony will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 25.