Officer Terry Jackson honored with Beacon of Hope award for community policing in Casper

Jeremy Jones, director of the 12 24 Club, introduced Officer Terry Jackson as the 2025 recipient of the group’s Beacon of Hope award at the Casper City Council meeting on Nov. 18. Jones described the 12 24 Club as a community clubhouse serving people in recovery and said Jackson’s hands-on, face-to-face community policing and work in drug court have been “transformational in countless lives.”

Corey Frederick, introduced by Jones as someone whose life Jackson has directly impacted, spoke about his own recovery journey and the role drug court played in his progress. Frederick said he would mark four years in recovery on Dec. 8, and noted he has earned a peer specialist certificate and endorsements in forensic and harm-reduction approaches. “Officer Jackson taught me that setbacks are not failures,” Frederick said, adding that Jackson’s door was always open and his advice was heartfelt.

Jones told the council the 12 24 Club hosts multiple recovery-related organizations and serves as a hub where people in recovery can find peer support and services. He invited the Casper Police Department and the council to continue community-policing practices that emphasize relationships and connections to treatment rather than immediate arrest for individuals with substance use disorders.

Mayor and council members thanked Jones, Frederick and the Casper Police Department and praised community partnerships that support recovery. The recognition was presented during the council’s “bright spot” portion of the meeting.