Judith Lieberman, 92, was one of 10 people recently honored with the 2012 Governor's Citizen Crime Protection Volunteer Recognition Award during a ceremony in Harrisburg.

The Emmaus resident, a longtime advocate for senior citizens, has served on numerous boards and task forces in the Lehigh Valley.

The Citizen Crime Prevention Volunteer Awards publicly honor individuals for their outstanding contributions to community crime prevention.

Lieberman was nominated by Pennsylvania State Trooper Marc Allen of Troop M, Bethlehem.

"She is a rare kind of human being, the kind of human being who enables us to change our point of view, to shift our perspective at the most basic and vital level, she helps us understand ourselves," Trooper Allen said. "She has that rare spark and it is contagious and she spreads it around and she is not known for taking no for an answer even from high ranking officials."

"I am proud to call her my friend and mentor."

Lieberman was selected for the award by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.

A member of the Lehigh County District Attorney's Elder Abuse Task Force and many other organizations, Lieberman attended the ceremony with her daughter, Martha.

The award was presented by Robert Ardner, supervisor of the Law Enforcement Planning Unit of PCCD.

Lieberman received a plaque and citations from Gov. Tom Corbett and State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-134th.

"I was humbled," Lieberman said. "This award belongs to everyone in the county who has helped me out along the way. Everyone has been so cooperative, and they have helped me to help other people."

Lieberman has been chairperson of Lehigh County TRIAD (The Right Information and Direction), which meets monthly in Allentown and is in its 10th year.

TRIAD members develop crime prevention and education programs for older adults and strive to improve the quality of older adults' lives by exchanging information between seniors and law enforcement.

TRIAD, a national program that began in Virginia in 1988, assesses the needs and concerns of older adults, attempts to reduce criminal victimization of older adults and encourages discussions about safety and security issues.

Lieberman was the recipient of an Unsung Heroes Award in 2011 from the Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services.

She is a member of the Lehigh County Advisory Board on Aging and has been instrumental in trying to establish a Project Lifesaver program in Lehigh County.

Project Lifesaver is an international organization that provides equipment, training and support to law enforcement who use specialized electronic search and rescue equipment adults and children who may wander from their homes because of Alzheimer's disease, autism, Down syndrome, dementia and other cognitive disorders.

"Judith Lieberman is an inspiration to all of us in law enforcement and has been a tremendous asset to the community where she lives," Lehigh County District Attorney James B. Martin said. "I am honored to have someone of her caliber on the Elder Abuse Task Force, where she is instrumental in helping us to focus on prevention of elder abuse, which doesn't get nearly enough attention in our society, although it is a growing and often-hidden problem.

"Her persistence, energy and more than nine decades of life experiences remind us all that one of our greatest resources are our older adults."

Lieberman has been involved in the following organizations and agencies: Apprise program, which helps people with Medicaid and Medicare insurance problems; Carrie program, which intervenes in cases of Medicare and Medicaid fraud; the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council; and Jewish War Veterans.

She received a National Businesswomen's Award from Nike, was a Girl Scout leader and graduated from Allentown, Bethlehem and Whitehall Township Citizen Police academies.

Lieberman has four children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.