Five local law enforcement officers were honored Friday by the Tifton Optimist Club with the Raymond B. Merritt Officer of the Year Awards as part of an annual observance of Respect for Law Week. The banquet was held at the Georgia Agrirama’s Conference Center.

The club presents the awards in memory and honor of Merritt, who was a deputy with the Tift County Sheriff’s Department in 1991 when he was killed as he and then-Sheriff Edd Walker responded to a domestic dispute.

“It’s a good feeling to know my family gets larger and larger,” said Merritt’s widow, Sue Merritt, referring to the crowd of officers at the luncheon who represented the Tift County Sheriff’s Office, the Tifton Police Department, the Georgia State Patrol Post 13, the ABAC Police Department and the Tift County Jail. The officers who received the recognition were chosen by their peers.

Tifton Optimist President William Moore said he was honored to welcome everyone in attendance.

“We are here today to say thank you to all the members of law enforcement in our county and to recognize the officers that stand out above the rest — the ones who go above and beyond in the performance of their daily duties to the extent that even their peers and supervisors take notice,” Moore said.

Tift County Sheriff Gary Vowell presented Woolard’s widow, Marie, with his honor. Woolard, a 34-year veteran of the TCSO, died the morning of April 4. Vowell promoted Woolard to Colonel posthumously.

“Col. Woolard couldn’t be with us in body, but he sure is with us in spirit,” Vowell said. “I still find myself picking up the Link or the phone to call him.

“He’s left us and gone on to a higher rank with our heavenly father.”

Vowell said that the award would be the first to hang on Woolard’s wall with the rank of Colonel before his name.

Tifton Police Chief Jim Smith said Officer Dorminey McCrae was already under consideration for the award before he shot an armed man who attempted to rob Tifton’s Piggly Wiggly recently and that he “thanked God every day” that no one other than the suspect was injured. Smith said McCrae loves to work traffic and issued 480 tickets and made 104 felony and misdemeanor arrests last year. He also commended McCrae for his ability to “go into sector 3” in the area of Captain’s Point Mobile Home Park in south Tifton and “do the job he does.”

“God has blessed him with the ability to deal with people,” Smith said.

Sgt. Stan Stalnaker, standing in for SFC Scott A. Woodell, commander of Tifton’s GSP post, said their award went to TFC Melvin Simmons.

“He’s one of the hardest workers we have and he does it right,” Stalnaker said.

Stalnaker said Simmons and another state trooper tied last year for the number of DUI arrests they made. He said Simmons made 76 DUI arrests last calendar year, made 1,338 traffic stops and investigated 83 traffic crashes.

“He is a consummate professional at his job,” Stalnaker said. “He’s only worked for two years and he still has a lot to learn.”