The Optimist Club of Arlington honored local law enforcement, courts and jail personnel at its annual “Respect for Law” luncheon this week.
“It means a lot to the public-safety community to have the recognition from the community,” Police Chief Andy Penn said at the event, held at Washington Golf & Country Club.
“Public safety truly is a team sport,” Penn said. “We work with the community.”
Part of an initiative of Optimist International, the Respect for Law program is an opportunity to honor those who serve with “integrity, fairness, accountability and commitment,” said Erin Mendenhall, who leads the Arlington initiative.
The event on Wednesday honored employees of the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and court system.
The 2026 award recipients were notable for “treating everyone with dignity,” she said.
Among those honored was ACPD’s Patrol Echo Squad. Its members were saluted for a number of achievements, including the response to a high-risk domestic-violence rescue operation that resulted in a barricade situation last year.
Sheriff’s Lt. Maurice Dozier was honored for his work as administrator of the office’s digital evidence management system.
A 20-year member of the sheriff’s office, Dozier exudes “professionalism, integrity and a commitment to public service,” Sheriff Jose Quiroz said.
Among his duties, Dozier played a key role in supporting the rollout of body-worn cameras in the county’s detention facility. He also handles all requests to the office filed under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Honored for his work in the county court system was Omar Francia. Francia is a staff member at the Andrew B. Ferrari Argus House, a residential program for boys ages 12 to 20 that provides an alternative to detention.
Francia and his colleagues are “in the trenches” to support youth during challenging times, said Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court Judge W. Michael Chick, Jr.
“We count on our staff at the Argus House to model patience, accountability, respect, dignity,” Chick said.
At the luncheon, County Board member Takis Karantonis said the annual effort was greatly appreciated by local leaders.
“I cannot be more thankful to the Optimists for doing this,” he said.
Because of the work of honorees and those in their departments, “we as a community feel very safe and well-served — we know we are living in a safe community,” Karantonis said.
He brought with him a county proclamation declaring Oct. 21 as “Respect for Law Day” in Arlington.
The Oct. 21 luncheon was also a chance for club members to bid a formal farewell to Circuit Court Judge James Almand, a club member who died in May at age 77.
Almand, who represented Arlington in the House of Delegates before becoming a judge, was instrumental in running the Respect for Law program in the 1980s, and worked to add awards for the sheriff’s office and court personnel.
“We miss him greatly,” Mendenhall said. “The warmth of his energy, his loving demeanor, was always contagious — he was a real and genuine person.”
A plaque honoring Almand was presented to family members, including his widow, Cindy. It was accepted by their son, Andrew, the third generation of his family to be a member of Arlington Optimists.
Supporting the Respect for Law initiative was “one of his most cherished and distinctive contributions that he made,” Andrew Almand said.
The sentiment was confirmed by retired Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge George Varoutsos, a lifelong friend of Almand.
“He did love this event,” Varoutsos said.
