Inspector Jackson Receives PTA's Honorary Membership Award

Garden City Police Inspector Kenneth Jackson received the Parent Teacher Association's (PTA) Honorary Membership Award at a ceremony Tuesday evening at the high school.

The award recognizes community members who have made outstanding contributions to the lives of children.

"Inspector Jackson has a wonderful working relationship with the Garden City PTA," immediate past president Liz Menges said. "He has worked closely with the PTA leadership as a liaison between us and the village on a variety of health and safety issues important to our membership."

The PTA cited Jackson as "instrumental" in implementing a crossing guard at the high school and in other traffic-related areas as well as educating parents about drug use.

Jackson first became a Garden City police officer in 1985 after serving as a New York City Transit police officer for four years. He was assigned to the department's detective unit in 1990 and was promoted to sergeant in 1991, lieutenant in 1995 and inspector in 2005.

He works closely with the PTA, setting up talks and events that address various safety issues including drug and alcohol awareness. He has assisted them in the development of safe practices for their street fairs, dance events and graduation events, working closely with the school district's Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) program and the Garden City Community Coalition (formerly known as the Garden City Community Council on Substance Abuse & Violence Prevention, Inc.).

"We have a very open dialogue," he said. "The PTA is very, very dedicated to the safety and well being of the children in this village."

Jackson added, "It's an honor, you know, because we share the same concerns, the youth of the village. I'll do anything I can to help them with [children]."