Heroism can begin with being perceptive and doing a little extra.
That’s what happened on March 9, when Ellijay Police Department (EPD) Officer Dawson Young was driving home from work at roughly 2 a.m.
He noticed a young girl walking near the intersection of Old Highway Five and State Road 382 and felt he should investigate.
“Even though he was off duty, Officer Young took the initiative to investigate the situation,” a press release from the EPD said.
When Young stopped to talk with her, the girl told him she was 16 and that her parents had given her permission to walk to the store.
But Young soon found out she was actually 12 years old and had run away from home.
He called for assistance and got help from EPD Officer Allen O’Neal.
When repeated phone calls couldn’t get in touch with the girl’s parents, O’Neal drove the girl home, even though her house was outside the jurisdiction of the EPD.
He alerted the girl’s parents and warned her about the dangers of running away from home.
The parents sent a grateful letter to the EPD.
“I can only imagine what might have happened if Officer Young had not cared enough to stop while off duty. We are forever grateful for his vigilance and dedication. We are also deeply thankful for Officer O’Neal, who was kind and compassionate while ensuring our daughter understood the gravity of the situation. These two officers are heroes to our family, and their actions likely prevented a tragedy. We are so thankful for them and the entire Ellijay Police Department,” the letter read.
Since then, the girl has been enrolled in mental health counseling and has not made another attempt to run away.
For their actions, the two officers received Police Commendation Awards at the Ellijay City Council Monday, May 18.
These awards are the highest award the EPD can give.
It recognizes exemplary duty performance for a single noteworthy act of service in support of the EPD.
This is the second time Young has received the award, and the first time for O’Neal.
A situation like the one Young and O’Neal encountered can often end horribly.
Children who try to run away from home are often abused by predatory adults or kidnapped by trafficking networks.
The National Runaway Safeline estimates that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million American kids run away from home each year.
It is estimated that one in six of them becomes a victim of sex trafficking or severe exploitation.