DAVENPORT, Iowa — When he joined the Davenport police department in 2018, Lucas Rusk couldn't wait to get started.
"It's really exciting," he told News 8 after his swearing in. "I've been wanting to this for a really long time. I'm excited to finally get to that next step. I can't wait to get out there and help as many people as I can."
In the past six years, Rusk, now a detective, has kept that same attitude, diving into the job and into his community.
"He's always there," Police Chief Jeff Bladel said. "He's always diving into it, and he's always up front and representing the agency at a high level."
Rusk was part of the department's community impact team and worked with Tammy Trice as part of the Good Neighbor Project.
"When I met him, it was just an automatic connection," she said. "My daughters and I just fell in love with him. He has such a sweet demeanor about himself, and he really cares about people in the community."
Anytime she had an event, she would call Rusk. The two laughed remembering a basketball tournament Rusk helped with and his love of the ribs someone brought.
Angie Hutton nominated Rusk for the "Beyond the Badge" award, noting his work each year volunteering for the Davenport holiday toy drive and his law enforcement fundraising for the Nick Teddy Foundation, raising money for Ewing sarcoma research. He also helped with the foundation's golf tournament.
"If we don't have support from people like Lucas, we can't exist," Dennis Olson, a board member from the foundation said.
For Rusk, it's all just something he enjoys doing.
"We work here, we want to make it a better place," he said. "I like honestly meeting different people every day, no matter what kind of situation they're in, I get to talk to different people from all walks of life and different jobs. And it's not always their best day, but I try to make it a better day for them."
Beyond the Badge is part of our effort to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who make a difference in their communities.
WQAD, in partnership with Milltown Realty, Davenport Guns and Key Auto Mall, receives nominations every year, so we can highlight three officers in our area who go "beyond the badge" to make a positive impact.
This honor is being given in memory of Detective Richard “Rick” Ryckeghem. Rick retired from the Moline Police Department. His last position held there was as the Quad Cities Crime Stoppers Coordinator. His focus throughout his career was to make a difference in the lives of the people he encountered.