Retired Arkansas State Police officer Mark Hollingsworth of Mountain Home was awarded the Arkansas Attorney General Star of Excellence Award on Thursday afternoon by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.
Hollingsworth was presented the honor at the Never Forgotten – Arkansas Takes Action conference in Benton. The annual event brings frontline local, state and federal law enforcement officers together to meet with Arkansas families of missing persons and collaborate on breakthrough investigative practices related to active missing person cases.
Hollingsworth was recognized during the 10th annual session for his work over a four-year span devoted to revamping the internal action plan of the Arkansas State Police Amber Alert System and his extensive effort to educate local law enforcement offices of the assistance the state police can provide to officers when a child is reported to be in imminent danger.
Activation of the Amber Alert System is managed by the Arkansas State Police, which is the initial point of contact for local law enforcement agencies when a child is initially reported as missing or abducted.
During his final assignment within the Arkansas State Police, Hollingsworth served as commander of the department’s Criminal Investigation Division, which employs 90 state troopers designated as special agents spread across six state police companies investigating major felony cases in all 75 Arkansas counties.
Hollingsworth was commissioned as an Arkansas State Trooper in 1985 assigned to the Highway Patrol Division. He worked most of his 35-year career with the State Police in the Twin Lakes Area, serving the majority of his assignments within the Criminal Investigation Division. He retired from the department March 1, 2021.
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