A detective with the Newton Police Department has been presented with the very first Guardian Award by the Open Arms Foundation of Jasper County. Detective Chad Plowman received the award from Open Arms Foundation of Jasper County Founder Nicholas Pietrack on Tuesday, in the City Council Chambers at Newton City Hall. Pietrack says the Guardian Award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to protect, advocate for, and support children in Jasper County, and Detective Plowman exemplifies that mission in every sense. The detective’s remarks after receiving the award were short, and contained a challenge.
“The award for me, while greatly appreciated, doesn’t undermine the hard work that a lot of other people in my profession and other professions do to protect kids. I’ll use this opportunity to challenge everybody in this community to look out for kids in our towns and our schools because not everybody has a voice or somebody looking out for their best interests.”
Throughout his career, and especially in his current role as a Detective, Pietrack says Plowman has shown an unwavering commitment to protecting children in his professional and personal life. He says examples of that include him serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, mentoring through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, as well as volunteering in community programs and coaching youth sports.
