NEWS ADVISORY

Aug. 30, 2011
Contact: Sgt. Chris Jacobson, (209) 333-6861

Lodi receives first-place award for traffic safety

Chris Murphy, director of the State's Office of Traffic and Safety, presented the Lodi Police Department on Tuesday with its first-place award in the California Law Enforcement Challenge (CLEC) for its efforts in traffic safety in 2010.

(Pictured left to right) Chief Mark Helms accepted the award on behalf of the department and the Traffic Unit composed of Officer Eric Versteeg, Sgt. Chris Jacobson, Officer Brian Freeman and Officer Chris Kaufman.

The California Law Enforcement Challenge program allows law enforcement agencies to set comprehensive goals, to strive to reach new heights in traffic safety, to share their experiences with others, and to be recognized for their traffic safety accomplishments; in short, to make a difference in the communities their officers serve each day. This competition has no losers - only winners: for saving lives and reducing the frequency and severity of injuries are the true rewards of law enforcement's efforts.

The National Law Enforcement Challenge program, the model for the California Law Enforcement Challenge, is financed through a grant awarded to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). IACP & NHTSA believe an increase in traffic enforcement in a community results in a decrease in motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

Director Murphy noted the department's success as well as the support the Lodi Police Department receives from the community, including the volunteer Partners organization, during his remarks Tuesday.