Fort Smith, Ark. – Sgt. Matt Foster of the Arkansas State Police has been named the 2024 Law Enforcement Partner of the Year by the National Child Protection Task Force (NCPTF), recognizing his exceptional efforts to safeguard vulnerable children across the state and beyond.
In a statement announcing the award, NCPTF praised Foster not only for his crisis response, but for his leadership in building proactive, long-term strategies to prevent child exploitation and abduction. “Matt doesn’t just respond to the crisis—he works to prevent it,” the organization stated. “He unites partners across Arkansas and beyond to create a strong, collaborative safety net for vulnerable kids.”
Foster’s work has contributed to a broader transformation in Arkansas’s approach to child safety. While high-profile rescue operations were once more common, officials say the state is now seeing fewer large-scale emergencies — not because threats have disappeared, but because systems built by Foster and his team are finding missing children faster and stopping exploitation before it escalates…