Clarksburg, WV
2010 Director’s Community Leadership Awards
| CJIS | Thomas F. Thomas |
|
Thomas F. Thomas, who competed nationally as a professional boxer in the late 1970s and early 1980s, began his career in law enforcement with the Shinnston Police Department in West Virginia in 1984. He joined the Clarksburg Police Department in 1990 and became the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) officer for the department six years later. He retired last year. As the D.A.R.E. officer, Thomas visited area schools and gave students information and resources to help them live drug and violence-free lives. He went beyond the traditional drug abuse and violence prevention programs and provided children with the skills they needed to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures to experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities. During his tenure as a Clarksburg police officer, Thomas also opened a gymnasium for area youth where he taught boxing and self-defense. Additionally, he served as a mentor at the Salem Industrial Home for Youth, where adjudicated youth from all 55 counties in West Virginia undergo a 60-day diagnostic process. During his career as a police officer and his service with the Clarksburg Police Department’s D.A.R.E. program, Officer Thomas was named the 2001 Citizen of the Year by the Clarksburg Exponent Telegram. In 2007, Officer Thomas received the Frank Loria Lifetime Dedication Award from the Clarksburg Columbian Club. In 2008 and 2009, he was named the Elks’ Citizen of the Year for the Central District of West Virginia. |
