Accepting the awards are Lt. Leo Girard (left); Officer Vincent Price; Officer Tom Smith; Director Everette Robbins. Photos courtesy of Huron Township Department of Public Safety.
On Thursday, June 8, the Huron Township Police Department was recognized as the 2018 Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving association (MADD).
Officer Thomas Smith was also nominated as an “Outstanding Officer” for his efforts to reduce or eliminate drunk and drugged driving.
His nomination read: “Officer Smith is a 2-and-a-half-year employee of the Huron Township Police Department. 2017 was his first full year as a member of the Huron Township Traffic Services Unit. Officer Smith has made impaired driving enforcement his number one priority. Working in a rural community with approximately 15,000 residents, Officer Smith led the Huron Township Police Department with 33 impaired driving arrests in 2017.”
The Huron Township Police Department as an agency received the 2017 State of Michigan award for being the state’s “Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency.”
The award read: “The Huron Township Police Department Traffic Services Unit has been an area leader in proactive traffic policing and enforcement. The five members of the Huron Township Traffic Services Unit combined for 49 impaired driving arrests in 2017, combined with 604 traffic related arrests. While that may be a smaller number than other nominated organizations, it is important to point out that Huron Township is a small rural community with less than 15,000 residents. As an agency, the Huron Township Police Department had eleven (11) officers working road patrol (non-traffic or patrol) in 2017. Those eleven officers combined for 141 impaired driving arrests in 2017. As an agency, the Huron Township Police Department made 1518 arrests.”
As an agency, the Huron Township Police Department also received award recognition as the 2017 “Deputy Tyler Lewis Longevity Award” in recognition of outstanding efforts in drunk/ drugged driving prevention, education, and enforcement.
“I honestly believe that the proactive approach our department takes relating to traffic safety protects or even saves lives in our community. Statistically, 29 people die nationally every day at the hands of drunk or drugged drivers or 1 person every 15 minutes. We have seen first-hand in this community the effect an impaired driver can have on a family and how quickly a young life can be lost. Every impaired driver we get off the streets can potentially save a life. I am proud of our agency’s efforts,” said Huron Public Safety Director Everette Robbins.
Source: Huron Township Department of Public Safety
