Denver Police Lt. Les Perry is good with his billy club and gun, make no mistake about it.
But his most powerful weapons are his smile and his willingness to listen and to help, not only to members of the community but also to police recruits and young officers.
Perry, 47, a 20-year veteran who runs the overnight shift out of District II in northeast Denver, will receive the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award tonight in Boettcher Concert Hall downtown.
Perry has seen many sides of police work, including two long stretches with the gang unit, a stint as a detective with the child-abuse unit, patrol shifts and internal affairs.
His instincts draw him away from thumping heads and taking prisoners to helping those who might need a small break or someone afraid to reach out, someone who might just turn their confused life around.
On gangs, Perry talks about the police work of confronting Denver’s most violent punks. But he also refers to the community-service and faith-based programs that have a tremendous influence on gang members, their families and their friends.
“Those groups were my most important contacts. They’re the ones who open doors that police can’t,” said Perry, singling out Terrence Roberts and his Prodigal Sons Initiative.
“Roberts grew up a Blood (gang member). I remember chasing him down the streets. He went to prison and came back with a passion to help young people that’s astonishing,” Perry said.
Perry, a Brooklyn native and graduate of Gateway High School, is vice president of the Black Police Officers’ Program. He received the mayor’s 2007 Breaking Boundaries Award for encouraging minorities to join the Police Department, then mentoring them. The Police Protective Association named him Officer of the Month in November.
On his own time, Perry mentors not only recruits entering the police academy but also graduates struggling with the police exam, and teaches new officers on the force.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
