Kimball officer receives state, national recognition
Officer Logan Luft received both state and national recognition as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Officer of the Year.
By News Channel NebraskaKIMBALL -- Officer Logan Luft received both state and national recognition as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Officer of the Year.
Officer Luft traveled to La Vista on June 7 to attend the state VFW ceremony, where he was formally presented with the Officer of the Year Award, as well as the National Law Enforcement Award.
He was nominated by the VFW post in Grand Island, where he started his law enforcement career three years ago.
Since then, he worked in the Merrick County Sheriff’s Office and Banner County Sheriff’s Office before coming to Kimball a year ago.
“I enjoy serving the Kimball community a lot and being able to make an impact in the community,” Luft said. “It’s nice being able to help people who can't help themselves and be a voice for people who don’t have a voice – that’s what I enjoy about law enforcement."
Officer Luft’s nomination was based on an incident that occurred in 2024 when he was Chief Deputy in Banner County.
Their department – along with Kimball County Sheriff’s Office – conducted a joint search warrant on a property. They ended up finding more than 30 dogs – 11 of them being puppies – who did not have adequate shelter, food, or water.
Officer Luft personally took all of the dogs in until he could find a home for them. Over the course of four months, he and his fiancée nourished the dogs back to health – they took them to vet visits, fed and watered them, and provided them with a safe home.
Luft says: “I wasn’t expecting recognition for what had happened; it was a big surprise for me, and I appreciate it. I obviously couldn’t have done it on my own.”
The Cheyenne Humane Society helped adopt a good portion of the dogs out, and someone anonymously paid some of the vet bills at the Gering Animal Hospital.
Chief of Police Jose Ruiz says: “This award is a true reflection of the impact Officer Luft has made on our community. We’re grateful to have him on our team and proud to see his hard work recognized on such a high level.”