Clark County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Bethany Lau receives award

ESTHER SHORT — Clark County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Bethany Lau was selected as the National Police Athletic League Inspirational Law Enforcement Officer. Lau holds three leadership positions within the Police Activities League of Southwest Washington. As the literacy event lead, Lau organizes literacy events where she helps educate youth and also recruits law enforcement officers for event participation. As the explorers post educator, Lau mentors and teaches 15-20 young adults about duties of a deputy sheriff. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lau has recently taken on a virtual coordinator role to keep participants active in their mentorship activities and engaged online. She also helps with various fundraising opportunities, including running a 5K in full uniform. Last year, she was named Law Enforcement Volunteer of the Year by the Police Activities League of Southwest Washington, competing with numerous community-oriented officers across eight agencies. “The National PAL Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award seeks to honor a deserving officer who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to connect with the youth of his city in support of the mission and vision of the PAL program,” said National PAL CEO Jeff Hood. “Since its inception, the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award has evolved into a comprehensive mentor recognition program which considers the number of volunteer hours and the quality of their impact in the lives of youth.” Learn more about the organization at www.nationalPAL.org.