ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Atlanta Police Officer Bradley Irwin is 28 years old. He's only been on the job for two years and already he is being honored.
The Atlanta Police Department recognized Irwin at its annual Crime Is Toast breakfast Tuesday.
He received the Medal Of Honor, the department's highest honor, because he rescued three young children who were trapped by a rising creek during a thunder storm in May.
"It was a dangerous situation. Looking back, the children did not know how to swim. I think they were fearing for their life," Irwin said.
The children were in a northwest Atlanta park when a storm came through. Irwin was one of several officers out searching for them.
"Officer Irwin didn't think twice about going into the water, trying to get across the water, it was still raining it was still lightning," said a fellow officer.
"Even though I could see them, it still took a long time to get to them because it was so dense," Irwin said.
Irwin carried the children, one at time, to safety. For that, he received the police department's highest honor.
"I put on a uniform. I have pride in what I do, so this just makes me feel better to be acknowledged on some level for what we do every day. It feels pretty amazing," Irwin said.
The department also honored Senior Police Officer Gail Thomas with a Purple Heart. In January, a suspected drunk driver struck Thomas when she stopped to help other officers on a traffic stop.
In addition to honoring officers, Atlanta's Mayor Kasim Reed boasted about the city's current crime rate.
"We have now achieved a goal of having 100 people or less who have lost their lives in Atlanta every single year since I've been mayor. That goal has only been accomplished seven times since Lyndon B. Johnson," Reed said.
Reed said the city is on track to have 2,000 officers on the streets by the end of next year.
"The goal was 2,000 police officers by 2000. I know we are a little late. We finally got it done. We are going to, by the end of 2013, have 2,000 police officers," Reed said.
Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
