Club names Officer of the Year
A Polk County Sheriff’s Office corporal who was hot on the scene during an icy battle against a house fire is the Cedartown Exchange Club’s Law Officer of the Year for 2018.
The club recognized Cpl. Kevin Chandler of the Sheriff’s Office, a six year veteran of the department. He was nominated by Sheriff Johnny Moats not only for his long service in public safety — his prior service includes a stint with the Cedartown Police Department and Polk County’s volunteer fire department — and for his actions during January’s second snowstorm.
A house in the 1800 block of Old Collard Valley Road refused to go out during icy conditions following snowfall on Jan. 16, and Chandler was there to help to make sure that fresh water got to the scene after hy- drants froze by trading in his patrol car for a tanker truck, which he had previous experience driving.
Moats described Chandler as the type of officer to jump in and help with any problem. As corporal of the shift, Chandler is second in command and manages the shift when his sergeant is absent.
Also nominated this year were Sgt. Matt McLendon from Cedartown Police Department, and Officer Andy Anderson from the Polk County Police Department.
Chief Jamie Newsome from the Cedartown Police nominated McLendon due to his service and for “being the type of officer that allowed a chief to go home and sleep well at night, knowing the job would be taken care of properly,” according to a release from the club.
Anderson was nominated by Chief Kenny Dodd of the Polk County Police Department for his long service to the community on and off the job. That includes recent organization of two blood drives held at Polk County Police Department headquarters, with a third coming up on March 13.