Local Law Enforcement Receive MADD Safety Awards

Members of Hartwell Post 52 pose with Harris Blackwood, Georgia Dept of Public Safety

Members of Hartwell Post 52 pose with Harris Blackwood, Georgia Dept of Public Safety

Local law enforcement agencies took home some prestigious safety awards from the annual Mothers Against Drunk Driving awards banquet.

Held last Thursday in Atlanta, the MADD Golden Shield Honor Awards banquet recognizes those law enforcement agencies that do the most to keep impaired drivers off the roads in Georgia.

One of the biggest winners in our area was the Georgia State Patrol Hartwell Post.

Spokesman Matt Baxley said Post 52 received the DUI Hero’s award.

“This award is presented to the State Patrol Post with the highest DUI arrest numbers,” Baxley said. “These arrests come from an aggressive DUI enforcement record in Hart, Franklin and Elbert counties with a heavy emphasis on I-85.”

Baxley said in 2015, troopers from Post 52 were responsible for the arrest of 552 impaired drivers.

13124998_945677708862738_6877941052386359855_nAlso winning at the MADD Golden Shield Honor Awards were two deputies from the Franklin County Sheriff’s office.

Franklin County Sheriff Steve Thomas said deputies Jason Roach and Antwune McCurry each received awards for their DUI arrests in 2015.

Deputy Roach was honored for his 37 DUI arrests and

Thomas said he is proud of his two deputies.

“During 2015, McCurry made 52 DUI arrests and deputy Roach made 37 DUI arrests,” Thomas said. “This was not McCurry’s and Roach’s first Golden Shield awards.”

Thomas said over the years, other deputies have also received similar awards from MADD.

“Other officers in our Department have also received MADD awards. They include, Brandon Dove, Daniel Smith, Jarod Tolleson, and Brian Stovall. Stovall also received the Rookie of the Year award in 2009.”

And in neighboring Banks County, Banks County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Brown received a Gold MADD DUI Achievement Pin for making a total of 108 DUI arrests in 2015.

According the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Web site, the group has worked for the past 12 years with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and law enforcement to fulfill their mission to eradicate impaired driving.