National Awards for Local Law Enforcement

THREE VERMONT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY!

This year’s International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference was hosted by the city of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. During the conference officers attended professional development seminars and informational workshops related to all aspects of police services. In addition, they also have the opportunity to inspect the newest policing innovations provided by vendors in the fields of data, technology, and science.

As part of the agenda, the I.A.C.P. recognizes law enforcement agencies from the United States that have successfully participated in the National Law Enforcement Challenge. The Challenge is an opportunity for a law enforcement agency to document their enforcement efforts for the previous year and be evaluated by Challenge judges for those efforts. The top scoring agencies are recognized at a Challenge Awards ceremony held during the Conference.

This year three Vermont law enforcement agencies were recognized for their outstanding traffic safety programs.
The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, Enforcement and Safety Division was awarded First Place in the Special Awards category. Director Glen Button accepted the award on behalf of the dedicated officers in the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Safety Division. The Motor Vehicle Inspectors have worked collaboratively with all of Vermont law enforcement agencies as well as the commercial vehicle industry in Vermont to raise the standard of excellence for the commercial vehicle transportation system in our State by educating drivers, company officials and strictly enforcing the laws pertaining to the truck and bus industry.

The Shelburne Police Department was awarded Second Place for excellence in highway safety initiatives and community outreach in the category for Municipal agencies with 11-25 officers. Chief Warden and Sgt. Al Fortin along with the entire uniform and civilian staff have worked tirelessly to develop a strong relationship with the Shelburne community including local students and parents. In addition, the Shelburne Police Department has coordinated special high visibility enforcement campaigns with all of the law enforcement agencies in Chittenden County and elsewhere. These efforts have helped to make the roadways in Chittenden County some of the safest in the state.

The Grand Isle County Sheriff's Department received a prestigious 2012 National Law Enforcement Challenge Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Sheriff’s category. The Grand Isle County Sheriff Ray Allen and his department were ranked 3rd in the United States for sheriff departments with 25 or fewer members. This award recognized the Grand Isle County Sheriff's Department for excellence in Traffic Safety and for their continued commitment to saving lives on Grand Isle's roadways. Sheriff Allen gave credit for the award to his Deputies whose extraordinary energy and commitment keep Grand Isle County's roadways safe.

These agencies and many others in Vermont participate in all of the Highway Visibility Enforcement campaigns such as ‘Click it or Ticket’ and ‘Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over’ which are sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program.