Public Safety named “Law Enforcement Agency of the Year”

Morganton, NC – May 2, 2023

For their ongoing efforts to stop impaired driving, Morganton Department of Public Safety was recognized as “Law Enforcement Agency of the Year” by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Sydney Tomko, Program Specialist for MADD said, “This award is given to an agency that has collectively shown outstanding efforts in reducing impaired driving through a combination of high enforcement activity, implementing effective strategies like public safety checkpoints, participating in awareness and prevention efforts on their own or through partnerships, and other innovations/contributions to prevent impaired driving.”

Tomko said, Lieutenant Joseph Beaver submitted a nomination form for Morganton Public Safety. After reading all the nominations for that award, the voting committee decided that Morganton Department of Public Safety deserved the award for 2022.

Police Chief Jason Whisnant said, “It is an honor to receive this award. Impaired driving is something that we take very seriously, as every police agency should, because it is a crime that is preventable. Our officers have worked very hard to decrease tragedies caused by drunk/drugged driving and that work is not finished yet. We are thankful for organizations like MADD who help to bring awareness to this issue.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has the goal of ending impaired driving for good. Since their founding, they have served as a lifeline for thousands of victims and survivors, and drunk driving fatalities have been cut in half. For more information on the organization, visit www.madd.org

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