CTV News Edmonton has reported:

Edmonton police Staff Sgt. Paul Looker was named Kiwanis Top Cop on Friday, receiving recognition for service to his community beyond his police work. The award honours officers who make a difference in their communities, and this year marks its 50th year.

Looker has served as a police officer for more than three decades. In his spare time, he coaches youth basketball and rugby and supports literacy initiatives. He is president of the St. Albert Rugby Football Club and has worked with hundreds of young athletes for nearly two decades.

“Paul impressed our selection committee not only through the extent of his volunteer service but through the genuine impact he has had on so many young people,” Beverly Levis of the Edmonton Oil Capital Kiwanis Club said in a news release. “Paul truly represents the spirit of the Top Cop Award.”

Kiwanis said fellow police officers, coaches, educators, parents and athletes submitted multiple letters and messages supporting Looker’s nomination. His work with young people also includes his policing career: he has participated in the Edmonton Public Schools School Resource Officer program and volunteered with the Edmonton Police Service cadet program.

As part of the award, Kiwanis will donate $1,000 to Looker’s chosen charity, the St. Albert Rugby Football Club. The first Kiwanis Top Cop award was presented in 1976 to Staff Sgt. Joe Dumonceaux for his work with minor hockey.