Traffic Safety Champions Recognized at CDOT’s Annual Law Enforcement Awards Event
DENVER– Today the Colorado Department of Transportation recognized 33 individual law enforcement officers and 19 agencies across the state as Traffic Safety Champions. The annual event focused on law enforcement efforts to reduce impaired driving and increase the use of seat belts. Agencies were also recognized for their work on distracted driving, speed, and child passenger safety.
Awards were presented to individuals from the Colorado State Patrol, Sheriff Offices and Police Departments across Colorado. A full list of the award winners is provided below.
The event was held at the Wellshire Events Center in Denver and 11am this morning.
A Traffic Safety Champion is an individual that shows outstanding support for impaired driving or occupant protection enforcement, according to CDOT. This can be demonstrated by the number of citations written or arrests made during the established enforcement periods throughout the year. It can also be demonstrated by drug recognition expert activity, high visibility enforcement tactics and other related activities.
"The officers recognized today are taking steps to make positive changes in their communities to keep citizens safe and enhance their quality of life,” said Darrell Lingk, Director of the CDOT’s Office of Transportation Safety. “They are truly some of our finest public servants because they go above and beyond to enhance traffic safety and serve without recognition.”
The CDOT Highway Safety Office provides funding to Colorado law enforcement for impaired driving and seat belt enforcement, education and awareness campaigns. The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year with 14 specific high visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement. More details about the campaign, including impaired driving enforcement plans, arrest totals and safety tips can be found at HeatIsOnColorado.com.
In 2016, seat belts saved an estimated 200 lives in Colorado. An additional 60 lives could have been saved if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants involved in fatal crashes had been properly restrained. There are three high visibility CIOT enforcement periods that take place each year in Colorado. For more information about seat belt safety and enforcement citation numbers, visit SeatBeltsColorado.com.
The 2018 Traffic Safety Champions are:
Impaired Driving
Trooper Michelle Archer Colorado State Patrol Troop 2B
Officer Tyler Bartlett Longmont Police Department
FTO David Basile Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Jackie Boyer Dacono Police Department
Agent Jamie Cardenas Lakewood Police Department
Trooper Nathan Grimm Colorado State Patrol Troop 3A
Officer Zach Helbig Fort Lupton Police Department
Officer Kent Keller CSU Police Department
Officer Brandon Lowe CSU Police Department
Officer Matthew Mallow Denver Police Department
Officer Mark McCann Englewood Police Department
Officer David McShane Thornton Police Department
Officer Lance Muniz Auraria Campus Police Department
Deputy Brian Phillips Adams County Sheriff’s Office
Trooper Marty Plakorus Colorado State Patrol 3B
Trooper Aaron Robertus Colorado State Patrol 3C
Trooper Jerry Sharp Colorado State Patrol 3C
Officer Ashton Steely Brighton Police Department
Officer Glenn Thomas Colorado Springs Police Department
Chief Robert Ticer Loveland Police Department
Deputy Skylar Vonfeldt Adams County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Scott Warren Colorado Springs Police Department
Officer Luke Wiley Longmont Police Department
Click it or Ticket
Agent Jaime Cardenas Lakewood Police Department
Master Trooper James Casebolt Colorado State Patrol Troop 2C
Officer Jennifer Hines Loveland Police Department
Trooper Christopher Padilla Colorado State Patrol Troop 3B
Officer David Pino Monte Vista Police Department
Officer Richard Romito Thornton Police Department
Trooper Billy Salazar Colorado State Patrol Troop 5B
Trooper Jason Shimp Colorado State Patrol Troop 4B
Trooper Kelby Siegfried Colorado State Patrol Troop 3A
Agency Awards
High Visibility Enforcement
Front Range
Aurora Police Department
Denver Police Department
Colorado Springs Police Department
Rural Pueblo Police Department
Colorado State Patrol Troop 3D
Law Enforcement Assistance Fund
Mountain Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Breckenridge Police Department
Front Range Fort Collins Police Department
Colorado Springs Police Department
Thornton Police Dept.
Click it or Ticket
May Mobilization Colorado State Patrol Troop 1D
Click it or Ticket
Rural Sterling Police Department
May Mobilization Lakewood PD
Thornton Police Department
Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office
Specialized Awards
Child Passenger Safety Colorado State Patrol
Distracted Driving Aurora Police Department
Pedestrian Safety Aurora Police Department
Speed Enforcement Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
