Crestwood Police Chief Frank Arnoldy, left, presents the 2017 Lt. John Walsh Professional Excellence Award to Officer Dion Olson. Olson joined the Crestwood Police Department in May 2008. He began his law enforcement career in 1999 by attending the Southeast Missouri State University Police Academy and began as a patrol deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in 2000. The award was established in memory of Walsh, a 19-year veteran officer who died of a heart attack while on duty on Feb. 2, 2006.

In an internal memo, Arnoldy wrote:

It is with great pride and pleasure that I present the 2017 Lt. John Walsh
Professional Excellence Award to Police Officer Dion Olson.
Dion Olson began his law enforcement career in 1999 by attending the SEMO (Southeast Missouri State University) Police Academy and began as a patrol deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department in 2000. Officer Olson joined the Crestwood Police Department on May 5th, 2008.
Officer Olson was assigned to the uniformed patrol force. He served successfully in that
position and expressed an interest in the Community Services Officer position when it
became open and was assigned to that position on May 11t, 2015. Officer Olson had
prior experience as a certified DARE instructor and began to teach the DARE program
to the fifth graders in Crestwood’s three schools.
While in the position of Community Services Officer, Officer Olson brought the following
programs into the community: Coffee with a Cop, the Police Department’s Facebook
page, acting as the department representative to Missouri Special Olympics, and the
creation of his Traveling Table Community Outreach program. Officer Olson handles
many other roles, tasks and assignments as the Community Services Officer.
Officer Olson has also served as an Acting Supervisor and represents the police
officers in the negotiations with the Teamster Union.
With 17 years of law enforcement experience, Officer Dion Olson has truly earned the
Lt. John Walsh Professional Excellence Award.