Three Leitchfield police officers have been honored with year-end awards, including the first woman to ever receive the Leitchfield Police Department Officer of the Year distinction.
Leitchfield PD Officer Wally Ritter was awarded Governor’s Award for Impaired Driving Enforcement for his efforts in DUI enforcement throughout the year. This award goes to the LPD officer with the most DUI arrests in the previous year.
LPD Officer Eugene Cain was awarded the Occupant Safety Award through the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety for his role in seatbelt enforcement and child restraint enforcement.
And for the first time in the history of LPD, a female officer, Tamara Jupin, was bestowed the department’s Officer of the Year award, which is voted on by her peers.
“Officer Jupin was given this award for her extraordinary service to the community and her increasingly important work with victims,” LPD said.
Jupin joined LPD in July 2022 after serving four years on the Brownsville Police Department.
Perhaps foreshadowing her excellent work with LPD, Sgt. Keith Harrell told K105 soon after Jupin’s hiring:
“Officer Jupin is very proactive in her policing to ensure the safety of the public she serves. She exhibits a strong drive to work drug related cases and has made several felony arrests since her hire date. The Leitchfield Police Department encourages growth in every officer and is excited to see where Officer Tamara Jupin’s career in law enforcement will lead her.”
“LPD congratulates these officers for their recognition this year and is very thankful for the effort they put in each and every day to better serve the citizens of Leitchfield,” LPD said in a statement.
The three officers were presented with their individual awards at the city of Leitchfield Christmas dinner on Friday.
(Photo l-r: LSP Officers Eugene Cain, Tamara Jupin, Wally Ritter)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
