On hand to accept the awards from MADD last Friday were Deputy Chief Mark Perkins (left); Officer Thomas Smith; Director Everette Robbins; Lieutenant Leo Girard; Officer Ahmed Kassem; Officer Vincent Price. (Photo courtesy of Huron Township Department of Public Safety)

By Scott Bolthouse | The Huron Hub
ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com
Posted June 11, 2019 — 1:45 p.m. EST

The Huron Township Police Department was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving as an outstanding law enforcement agency for the second year in a row.

The department received the award last Friday.

In addition to the department receiving an award as a whole, the Traffic Services Unit and two officers within the department also received awards from MADD.

The Traffic Services Unit was recognized and awarded for “Recognition of Excellence.”

“The Huron Township Police Department is an area leader in proactive traffic policing and enforcement. The small rural community made 162 impaired driving arrests,” the award read.

Officer Vincent Price accepted the award on behalf of the Traffic Services Unit.

Officer Ahmed Kassem was nominated and received the award for “Outstanding Rookie of the Year.”

His nomination read: “Officer Kassem completed his first year of service with the Huron Township Police Department in 2018. Officer Kassem led the Huron Township Police Department with 17 Impaired Driving arrests. Officer Kassem has made impaired driving enforcement his number one priority and has made a concerted effort to get better at enforcement every day. Officer Kassem has done this while balancing his regular patrol duties. Officer Kassem’s efforts and high visibility have led to reduced impaired driving injuries and fatalities.”

Officer Thomas Smith was nominated in the “Outstanding Officer” category for his efforts to reduce or eliminate drunk and drugged driving.

His nomination read: “Officer Smith is a 3-and-a-half-year employee of the Huron Township Police Department. He is currently assigned to the Traffic Services Division. Officer Smith has made impaired driving his number one priority. Working in a rural community with 15,000 residents, Officer Smith represented the Huron Township with 14 impaired driving arrests and 209 hazardous driving related arrests in 2018. Overall, Officer Smith’s efforts and high visibility have led to reduced impaired driving injuries and fatalities.”

Everette Robbins, director of public safety, said the traffic unit is essential in targeting impaired drivers, even though it might not be obvious to everyone in the community.

“Although it may not be the perception of some, our traffic efforts save lives each and every day, especially in the area of reducing or eliminating drunk and drugged driving. These efforts are not necessarily quantifiable because the lives that are saved can never be measured,” Robbins said.

“I am extremely proud of the hard work of not only the recognized officers, but our department as a whole as it relates to our high visibility efforts. Every year when I attend this event, I think of our two local high school students Jimmy Williams and Shannon Henry and can’t help but wonder how much pain their families wouldn’t have had to endure if the drunk driver that hit them would have been arrested a minute before the crash. Remembering what happened to them makes everything we do and all of our traffic enforcement well-worth the effort.”