Smallwood Receives Law Enforcement Award from Shoals Area Rotary Clubs
Friday, May 19, 2023
By Brett Butler Cain
Written by Bernie Delinski, TimesDaily Staff Writer
May 16, 2023

FLORENCE — At a moment when the community was honoring Tuscumbia Police Lt. Mike Smallwood, he instead shifted the attention to others. During a joint meeting of Shoals Rotary clubs, Smallwood received the Richard B. Biddle Award for Law Enforcement Excellence.
 
"It means a lot to me," he told the club members. "What helps me more than anything in this career is I do know to surround myself with great people."

Smallwood said that's a long list that includes family, local residents, Rotarians and his fellow officers, including volunteers and school resource officers, as well as Tuscumbia Mayor William Foster. He said he enjoys his work and focuses on trying to improve every day.

"I love law enforcement," Smallwood said. "I love helping people. Something that means so much to me, it is just helping people and being there and trying my best every day to become better. And we all should do that: Try to be better every day, at any age."

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall presented Smallwood with the award, and later discussed the difficult job law enforcement officers face daily. Marshall used the Greek phrase agape.

"It means love for someone you don't know exists," he said. "These are the heroes who answer the call when the rest of us dial 911."



Photo: Attorney General of Alabama Steve Marshall, left, presents the Richard B. Biddle Award for Law Enforcement Excellence to Tuscumbia Police Lt. Mike Smallwood on Monday during the Florence Rotary Club’s meeting. [Dan Busey/TimesDaily]

Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan said Smallwood is over the school resource officers and coordinates all city events, including parades and the annual Helen Keller Festival. He said Smallwood is a popular and well-known officer within the department and throughout the city.

"He is loyal to our city," Logan said. "Mike has an undying dedication to his friends, but mostly to the community."

The event also featured a surprise for retired Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton. He was recognized for his lifelong service to law enforcement that included two terms as sheriff and a stint as Florence police chief from 1996 to 2012.

"When he became sheriff in 2015, he immediately began to improve the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department," said Joe Hamilton, who took over as sheriff in January. "Under his leadership, the sheriff's office made tremendous progress, and he stood up for his employees."

Marshall said Singleton exemplified leadership.

"He truly was one of the most remarkable law enforcement leaders in this state," Marshall said.

Singleton thanked everyone for the recognition and said he was fortunate to make a career out of the profession he loved.

"Law enforcement was what I always wanted to do," he said.

Singleton's family attended the meeting, and he said an officer's family puts up with a great deal.

"They pay a tremendous sacrifice," Singleton said.


The Shoals Area Rotary Clubs thank the TimesDaily for permission to share this article.