Littleton Police Department Officer Receives Award
Published on August 10, 2022
Officer Austin Rodriguez has been awarded the Russ Oberlin Respect for Law Award. The Littleton Optimist Club annually recognizes individual members of local law enforcement agencies through this award for their service to the community, youth, and youth projects.
Officer Rodriguez has been with the Littleton Police Department (LPD) for five years. Rodriguez, who affectionately goes by A-Rod amongst his peers, is married and has two small children. He attended Dakota Ridge High School, where he was a multi-sport star, before taking his skills to Mesa State University, where he was a stand-out on their football team. In the past five years for the LPD, he has shown leadership skills and a willingness to learn. He is one of the department's defensive tactics instructors, teaching handcuffing and ground fighting to patrol officers. He is also on the S.W.A.T. team, where he plays a valuable role tactically. Rodriguez is also in the process of becoming a department firearms instructor.
For the past two years, he has been a School Resource Officer for Heritage High school.
“Aside from being at the school to provide a safe environment for students and staff members, he serves as a mentor, counselor, protector, and a leader to all the students in the building. Austin embodies the Optimist Club's values and mission of providing hope, a positive vision, and bringing out the best in the youth and community of Littleton,” said Littleton Police Chief, Doug Stephens.
Along with his many positive contacts with the students of Heritage, the school has recently reached out to him and asked if he would use his experience and the positive relationships he has built to assist with coaching the varsity football team. Rodriguez will also be one of the instructors for this summer's Jr. Police Academy, a week-long academy for middle school kids.
He will help lead them as the kids learn about arrest control, K9s, S.W.A.T., building searches, and fingerprints at crime scenes. Rodriguez has had a positive impact on the LPD and the students of the community.
The original start of Optimist projects and programs began around 1911 in Buffalo, New York, by probation and juvenile officers concerned about delinquency. Optimist International is currently the fourth largest service organization in the world. The Littleton Optimist Club has been very active in the schools and communities in Littleton for over 50 years through youth programs and volunteerism.