In Poplar Bluff, VA Police Sgt. Paul Hicks, who’s spent the last 24 years in law enforcement, was recognized recently with VA’s 2023 Lead Officer of the Year Award.Hicks, who’s been with John J. Pershing VA Medical Center’s Police Services since mid-2017, is an Air Force Security Police Veteran and previously served 15 years on the Piedmont Police Department and 18 months at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.