Atkinson honored for 50 years in law enforcement

By submitted, 10/4/17 9:55 AM

LITTLE ROCK – Recently, Hempstead County Chief Deputy T.P. “Mickey” Atkinson was recognized for his 50 years of service to law enforcement to the State of Arkansas.

A ceremony was held during the Arkansas Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Summit at Camp Robinson on Oct. 3. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge named Atkinson the Hempstead County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

Atkinson started his career in February 1967 as a deputy sheriff for Desha County Sheriff Robert Moore and was there until Moore’s death in 1974. From there, he served as City Marshal for Arkansas City until 1977.

In 1977 he was hired as a patrol officer for the McGehee Police Department, serving with the MPD in various positions, including chief, before accepting a position with the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Department in 1993 when a job was offered by then sheriff Jerry Crane. Atkinson was hired as an investigator for the HCSO, serving in that capacity until Dec. 31, 2010, when Sheriff James Singleton appointed him as chief deputy, where he’s been the last seven years.

Atkinson, according to a release from the HCSO, has been a shining example of what a dedicated law enforcement officer strives to be during their career. Atkinson, the release states, remains dedicated not only to the HCSO, but to the entire law enforcement profession.