Traffic Safety Champions Recognized at CDOT’s Annual Law Enforcement Awards Event

May 23, 2018 - Denver Metro Colorado/Transportation Safety

 

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