Congratulations to Arizona city and town police officers on commendable efforts that were recently recognized!

Officer Wes Kelley of Apache Junction Police Department (Photo Courtesy of City of Apache Junction)

Apache Junction Police Department Officer Wesley Kelley was recently named the Officer of the Year by the local American Legion.

Kelley was given the honor on April 9 by American Legion Post 27.

American Legion posts nationwide name officers of the year. The American Legion then annually selects a National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award. It is awarded to a well-rounded law enforcement officer who has exceeded the duty requirements expected of his or her position and has demonstrated a distinct pattern of community service coupled with professional achievement, according to the American Legion website.

“It is always an honor to have one of our officers recognized by one of armed service organizations,” said Police Chief Thomas E. Kelly. “It is especially humbling as these are the same people that have previously placed themselves in harm’s way in defending our country.  Officer Kelley is one of those officers that requires minimum supervision and is respected by his peers. He presents himself well and treats all with dignity and respect as stated in the Apache Junction Police Department’s mission statement. Very proud of the recognition.”

Prescott Valley Police Department Officer of the Year Cozens (Photo Courtesy of Town of Prescott Valley)

The Prescott Valley Police Department also held its annual police recognition awards. The Officer of the Year was announced as Officer Caleb Cozens.

Officer Cozens started his career with the Prescott Valley Police Department in June 2015, laterally transferring from Chino Valley.  He demonstrates a positive, upbeat attitude and is known for his professionalism, representing the Prescott Valley Police Department and the Town of Prescott Valley with pride.

A team player, Officer Cozens consistently produces a high quality of work, especially in the handling of drug investigations. He is a leader within the department in drug arrests and is always willing to take on extra work. Over the last year Officer Cozens has written 83 citations/warnings, written 262 reports and supplements, and made 131 arrests.

The Town of Prescott Valley also honored other officers with awards:

Prescott Valley Police Department Rookie of the Year Officer Loughmiller (Photo Courtesy of Town of Prescott Valley)

2016 Rookie of the Year – Cameron Loughmiller

2016 Community Policing Ribbon – Officer Tyler Brown

2016 Unit of the Year – Community Services Unit

2016 Civilian of the Year – Jerry Ferguson

2016 Volunteer of the Year – Dave Demski

Fire Chief
City of Phoenix Fire Department

At 16 years old, most teenagers have three things on their minds: fun, friends and finding freedom. What they’re going to do for a living isn’t always at the top of the list. But for Kara Kalkbrenner, it was.

She was a student at Maryvale High School in the 1980s, working at Malcolm’s Department Store selling home furnishings. One day, Mrs. Mallow, one of her regular customers told Kara about her son who was a Phoenix firefighter, who at that time was dating the first female firefighter to work for the City of Phoenix.  She had a sense of Kara’s kind demeanor and caring personality, and suggested that she look into the fire service.

Kara didn’t know that women were just starting to become firefighters. She had plans of following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother who were both nurses. Her mom worked in the emergency room. Kara knew about what doctors and nurses did for critical patients, but wanted to know more about what firefighters did to help save lives before they made it to the hospital.

Within the year, Kara volunteered to be a Phoenix Fire Cadet, learning the ropes at the fire stations. She finished high school and enrolled in fire science classes and eventually got her degree. By the age of 19, she graduated from an intense academy. At the time, there were only 20 female firefighters at the department, and she was one of the youngest. Fast forward more than 30 years later. Not only are there now more than 85 female firefighters in Phoenix, but that young and eager cadet is now the first female fire chief of the sixth largest city in the nation!

“I have been extremely fortunate to have served alongside some of the bravest and most interesting people on the planet.  Firefighters by nature are unique,” said Kara.   “To be given the training and tools to now lead the Phoenix Fire Department is an honor and privilege.”

She isn’t the kind of chief who manages from behind closed doors. At a three alarm hazardous material fire this year in south Phoenix, Kara was quickly on scene providing support with her team of command officers. Some of Kara’s most rewarding work with the department has come from riding in the backseat of a fire truck, responding to fires and helping sick people.

The chief is married to Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Kalkbrenner, who manages the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in Phoenix. Not only is he a tremendous support, Kara’s mother and grandmother were there as well, supporting her decision to enter a male-dominated profession.

Kara is one of a handful of women in the nation who manage major metropolitan fire departments. After a national and competitive recruitment, she was sworn in as fire chief in late 2014. She leads a robust organization that operates around the clock, consisting of nearly 2,000 diverse employees, and manages a $306 million budget.

Recently, Kara ran into Mrs. Mallow and thanked her for the talk they had 30 years ago at Malcolm’s. Not only did that ambitious young woman become a firefighter, she became fire chief.

“With the right inspiration, skills and knowledge, you can do anything.”

Gilbert is the second safest community in the country and the Gilbert Police Department wants to keep it that way.  Ahead of the holiday weekend, we want to make you aware of a new community awareness program designed to address an increase of collisions in Gilbert.  Our Traffic Unit and Special Enforcement Units will be conducting directed traffic enforcement operations near the SanTan Freeway corridor between Val Vista and Williams Field Roads and along the Val Vista corridor between Baseline and Elliot Roads.  These two zones were selected based on an analysis of traffic collision data.  Patrol officers will be increasing traffic enforcement and education within their patrol beats, throughout the community and focusing on eliminating distracted driving.

What can you do to help increase safety on our roadways? Please remove all distractions while driving, maintain the speed limit, wear passenger restraints and obey all traffic laws. We also encourage you to help spread the word about safe driving with Gilbert’s new #DriveSafely campaign. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Pledge to Speed down. Eyes up. Drive safely.
• Use #DriveSafely on social media
• Share this Public Service Announcement

Working together, we can attain our vision as a community where people feel safe in their homes, in public places and on our roadways.

Visit www.gilbertaz.gov/DriveSafely to download logos and for more information.

To download the Gilbert Police Department’s mobile apps, visit Gilbert’s Mobile Apps Hub at www.gilbertaz.gov/apps.

Recently, the Surprise Police Department’s Volunteer Program won the 2015 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Programs.

The comprehensive volunteer program consists of citizens participating as members of the Surprise Citizen’s Patrol, Victim Assistance Unit, chaplains, reserve police officers, interns and other volunteers such as those serving in the Records Unit, Training/Recruitment Unit and the Professional Standards Unit.

“The police are the public and the public are the police.” When Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern policing, spoke these words, it is unlikely that even he could have imagined the selfless acts of the Surprise Police Department’s volunteers. The fine men and women that make up the Surprise Police Department’s volunteer program are a true representation of Sir Robert Peel’s words.

The Citizen’s Patrol has grown from 7 volunteers in 1997 to 50 active program participants today. The program was established to assist the Surprise Police Department in responding to the City’s 1000% growth rate over the past 16 years.  Having grown into its role as an integral part of the Department, the Citizen’s Patrol volunteers carry out many operational and administrative functions. In 2014 alone, the volunteers from the Citizen’s Patrol provided 26,483 volunteer hours. That is the equivalent of nearly 13 full-time employees and an estimated cost avoidance of $662,000.

There are very few functions that the Citizen’s Patrol members do not have some involvement in. On any given day, you will likely see numerous volunteers working within the Surprise Police Department; whether it be the day-to-day activities such as going out on patrol, conducting vacation watches and making sure vital police equipment is ready for deployment; or the less common events like traffic control for spring training baseball games, rapid response for emergency incidents and deployment of SWAT vehicles.

The members of the Surprise Citizens Patrol are part of a larger group of auxiliary volunteers here at the Surprise Police Department. These are members of our community who have given up their own time and energy to make their community a safer and better place for all, having done so for over 18 years.  The overall effort of these hardworking volunteers has amounted to more than 280,000 volunteer hours for an estimated cost savings of over $7 million.

While these numbers are substantial, what is even more important is the immeasurable positive impact these volunteers have had on their community. Because of the volunteers, the agency navigated an extremely difficult expansion period with relative ease. As a result, our volunteers, who exist as both citizens and members of the department, also serve as a bridge between the Police Department and the public, further strengthening the agency’s roots within the community and helping to develop trust and cooperation from our residents.

The volunteers in the Victim Assistance Unit provide a continuum of services to support victims of crime and empower them to exercise their rights. Volunteers from this unit assist with obtaining orders of protection, accompanying victims to court, transporting victims for forensic and/or medical examinations, and finding temporary housing for victims in need. In 2014, the volunteers in this unit alone provided an additional 1,245 volunteer hours to assist with some 824 cases and provided direct services to 607 victims.

Our Chaplains always make themselves available for call-outs and respond to assist citizens with grief counselling. They provide timely motivational support for our Department and complete a myriad of other helpful tasks that lend support to our overall mission.

Reserve Police Officers fill in gaps that otherwise might create operational challenges. The unpaid service of these volunteers allows for maximum efficiency in both day-to-day operations as well as during special events.

Interns within the Surprise Police Department fill a wide variety of roles and allow for a direct communication of the Surprise Police Department’s philosophy and mission to educational institutions within our city and partnering communities.

Records Unit volunteers provide additional support for the unit by sorting and filing departmental reports. They also complete time-sensitive data entry projects that allow the Records Unit personnel to continue to meet important deadlines.

Training and Recruitment Unit volunteers routinely donate countless hours conducting background interviews and are deeply rooted in many facets involved in the hiring process with the Surprise Police Department.

The volunteers in the Professional Standards Unit complete interview transcripts and perform a variety of administrative tasks and functions. Their efforts relieve the daily responsibilities placed upon the investigators within the unit and allow for them to focus their own efforts on their assigned administrative investigations.

The members of the Surprise Police Department’s Volunteer Program have truly become an integral part of the DNA that makes up our organization. The support provided by these men and women ultimately plays a key role in the Department’s mission to maintain a safe community by providing extraordinary law enforcement customer service. Their hard work, dedication and exemplary efforts are inspiring and truly deserving of the 2015 IACP Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Programs Award.

After a thorough hiring and training process, the El Mirage Fire Department (www.cityofelmirage.org) is pleased to welcome four new Firefighters.  Candidates were chosen from hundreds of applicants that met the minimum EMT and Firefighter I&II certification requirements.

These recruits not only met the minimum requirements, but exceeded the high standards of the El Mirage Fire Department.  Mayor Lana Mook stated, “El Mirage is very excited to have these four Firefighters as the newest members of the El Mirage Fire Department.”  As part of El Mirage’s recruitment process, the Fire Department also has a cadet program, volunteer program, and offers citizen ride-alongs.

For the third consecutive year, the city of Glendale this month is launching a campaign designed to reinforce safety messages during the summer with residents; entitled Operation Safe Summer, kicking off in conjunction with Heat Safety Awareness Day on May 22. The campaign will feature a public event at Westgate Entertainment District on June 19, as well as a bottled water drive throughout the city.

There are several departments that will offer programs and events to remind residents of their mission: to keep the city’s residents safe with an outstanding quality of life. These departments include the Police and Fire Departments, the Transportation Services Department and Parks, Recreation and Library Services.

With a dedicated website and logo, the campaign features a different safety message each week, covering timely summer topics such as kids out of school for the summer, children being home alone and out riding bicycles more often, heat-related issues, vacation and travel safety, BBQ and fireworks precautions, and of course, water and pool safety. Information will be distributed through public facilities in Glendale and at certain events, as well.

The public event will be held on June 19,  6:30-8:30 p.m., called “Surviving the Summer,” at Westgate Entertainment District, 6770 N. Sunrise Blvd. Held in the shopping center’s Fountain Park, this free event will feature a variety of agencies and vendors to educate residents on water and sun safety and much more.

In addition, donated water bottles will be collected at all Glendale fire stations throughout the city, as well as the Glendale Visitor Center in downtown Glendale. The water donation drive will run through the Glendale CVB’s Christmas in July event on July 18. Water will be distributed through Maricopa Association of Government’s (MAG) Heat Relief Regional Network, to the most vulnerable populations in the region to stay hydrated and healthy. MAG’s program offers both hydration stations and refuge locations throughout Maricopa County. For more information on this program, visit http://www.azmag.gov/heatrelief.

For more information on the event and the Operation Safe Summer campaign, including great tips and resources you can take advantage of, visit www.glendaleaz.com/safesummer.

The Prescott Valley Police Department recently recognized exemplary employees who strive to make the Town of Prescott Valley a safe place to live. Take a look at this year’s heroic individuals  who showcase just how many great people are making Arizona cities work!

Civilian of the Year – Geni LeQuesne

Geni LeQuesne is a vital member of the Prescott Valley Police Department.  She handles all aspects of training and travel for employees of the Department, monitors and tracks training reimbursements and scheduling, maintains the Police Department website, manages Administrative Review/Personnel Complaint/and Use of Force records, provides backup for Administrative Staff, in addition to many other additional tasks.  In 2014 alone, Geni arranged and completed over 250 different training/travel requests for Department personnel.

Geni is always pleasant to work with and extremely helpful to everyone.  She has a positive attitude towards both her work and her fellow employees that makes working with her truly a joy.  Geni is always willing to step in and help wherever necessary to accomplish Department tasks, and does so with a smile on her face.

Geni consistently demonstrates a professional and helpful attitude that is noticed by all of those around her.  She is truly a valued member of the Prescott Valley Police Department and very deserving of the Civilian of the Year Award for 2014.

Community Policing Award – James Tobin

Detective James Tobin has been in law enforcement 18.5 years and served with the PVPD Family Violence Unit for 3 years. He has a clear understanding that criminal incidents are a much broader issue that can’t be addressed solely by a single call for service; however Detective Tobin takes every call for service as an opportunity to make a difference for the community he serves. In working closely with other community agencies and law enforcement professionals, Detective Tobin provides leadership and insight to a variety of community policing programs. Detective Tobin is a community steward and frequently participates in programs that help promote community policing, community outreach and education.

Detective Tobin is a leader with the Coordinated Community Response Team, whose mission isto end domestic and sexual violence in Northern Arizona.  He is also part of the Yavapai County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, and has coordinated an intergovernmental study with the Northern Arizona University to study and develop advanced domestic violence threat assessments to further combat domestic violence related issues impacting our community.  Detective Tobin helped facilitate the “Take Back the Night Candle Light Vigil” the community awareness program that honors Domestic Violence homicide victims from Yavapai County, as well as the “Start By Believing” campaign in support of sexual assault victims. He also participates in the “Teen Maze” educational event, Hopefest, Salute to Heroes, and the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy to represent the PVPD Family Violence Unit.  Finally, Detective Tobin has become a community leader on the MATFORCE Coalition to reduce substance abuse in our community.

Over the past 6 years, the number of Domestic Violence incident calls for PVPD has increased by 53%.  Due to community outreach, more careful statistical capture, as well as education in the community that creates a supportive environment in which victims feel safe to report domestic violence, family violence crime has been addressed assertively by our Family Violence Unit. Community policing, community outreach and education have become synonymous with the nationally recognized PVPD Family Violence Unit through the efforts of Detective James Tobin.  On April 21, 2015 the PVPD Family Violence Unit was recognized by the State of Arizona Attorney General’s Office for distinguished service to victims. This award was largely due to the outstanding work of Det. James Tobin and his community policing efforts with the PVPD Family Violence Unit.

Medal of Valor – John VanGundy

On March 09, 2014 at 2:55PM hours, Officer VanGundy and other Prescott Valley Police Officers responded to an in progress domestic violence call at 9420 Magma Drive.  During the call to dispatch, a female caller said her husband fired a weapon inside the house during a domestic argument, and that he had assaulted his father who was also inside the residence.  It was reported that a child was possibly in the home when this occurred.  The female caller reported that her husband, the suspect, was possibly outside of the residence; however his whereabouts were unknown.

Upon arrival, officers set up a perimeter of the residence.  Officer VanGundy was one of the first responders on scene as he was acting as a field training officer for that shift.  Officer VanGundy stationed himself on the south east corner of the residence behind a wall and a tree while waiting for additional officers to respond.  While Officer VanGundy was at his perimeter location, he observed a male subject walk from behind the south side of the residence towards the front of the residence where other officers were arriving.  Officer VanGundy observed that the suspect had a long gun in his hands and challenged the suspect to drop the weapon.  The suspect pointed the long gun in the direction of Officer VanGundy.  Officer VanGundy fired two rounds from his patrol rifle striking the suspect with both rounds.  Officer VanGundy used proper approach tactics to detain the suspect and get him medical attention.  Subsequent investigation indicated the suspect had exited the residence upon police arrival and may have been trying to obtain a position of advantage in ambush of responding Officers.

Officer VanGundy’s decisive and effective response to this situation resulted in the elimination of potential further harm to three victims in the residence as well as multiple responding Police personnel and civilians in the area.  It should be noted the residence in question is across the street from the George Anderson Park.

Officer VanGundy handled himself as a true professional from start to the end of the call.  We would like to fully commend Officer VanGundy for his ability to handle himself in this type of serious incident in such a professional manner.  This type of behavior is deserving of a Medal of Valor.

Officer of the Year 1 – Brad Penner

Officer Brad Penner has provided over 20 years of dedicated service as a police officer in Arizona.  With his years of service, he possesses vast experience and knowledge to draw from and is always willing to share his knowledge to assist fellow officers. Officer Penner is truly selfless and always gives freely of his time to help and mentor others.

Officer Penner displays compassion, kindness and genuine empathy for the citizens he encounters each day. He has a special talent for defusing and de-escalating tense situations with confrontational subjects in a calm, patient and practical manner.

With his many years of excellent service, Officer Penner shows no signs of slowing down.  In 2014 Officer Penner responded to 765 calls for service, investigated 29 traffic crashes, issued 528 traffic citations and warnings and made 86 arrests. His unrivaled work ethic is just one of the many ways in which Officer Penner provides an excellent example for other officers to follow.

Officer Penner is a role model in the community and within the Prescott Valley Police Department; he is the embodiment of what a law enforcement professional should be.

Officer Brad Penner is very deserving to be named as the 2014 Prescott Valley Police Department “Officer of the Year.”

Officer of the Year 2 – Jennifer Watson

In just over two years at the Prescott Valley Police Department, Officer Jennifer Watson has distinguished herself as a hardworking, dedicated and highly productive patrol Officer.

In 2014 Officer Watson responded to 318 calls for service, issued 230 traffic warnings, issued 65 traffic citations and made 98 arrests. She works tirelessly to help crime victims and provide excellent service to the community. She is always willing to assist fellow officers and brings a positive and enthusiastic energy to every task and assignment.

In addition to her outstanding work on patrol, Officer Watson has taken on numerous additional responsibilities throughout 2014, including working with a multi-agency task force to target sexual predators. She is a member of the Family Violence Unit adjunct team, is a member of the Yavapai County Coordinated Community Response Domestic Violence Task Force, and was a valued contributor at the Take Back the Night candlelight vigil, Teen Maze and Shop-With-a-Cop. Officer Watson also volunteers her time to assist as a Big Sister for Yavapai County Big Brothers-Big Sisters.

In 2014 Officer Watson received numerous letters of appreciation from community members and numerous commendations from supervisors, detectives and peers who have recognized the quality and professionalism of her work.

Officer Jennifer Watson is a tremendous asset to the citizens of Prescott Valley and is very deserving to be recognized as the 2014 Prescott Valley Police Department “Officer of the Year.”

Rookie of the Year – Ryan Spriggs

Officer Ryan Spriggs joined the Prescott Valley Police Department in August 2013 and was accepted into NARTA class 35. He joined the department as a reserve police recruit and attended the academy for the first several months as an unpaid reserve. Officer Spriggs knew he wanted to be a police officer and felt becoming a reserve would help him in his quest to reach his goal.  Several months into the academy, he accepted the offer to become a full time employee.  Officer Spriggs graduated the academy in December of 2013 as a well-respected recruit, and was also chosen as the NARTA class Treasurer.

During field training, Spriggs showed how much of a dedicated employee he is.  Throughout his field training, he worked very hard to excel and learn what it takes to be a solo police officer. During many of Officer Spriggs’ shifts, he worked very long hours to complete his cases.  Officer Spriggs has been known to dedicate over 17 hours to complete a single in-depth case.  He progressed along through training at a solid rate and finished his required training and became a solo police officer.

Once assigned to a full time squad on the graveyard shift, Officer Spriggs became very proactive by making traffic stops, field contacts, going on as many calls as possible and learning as much as he could in his first year.  During his first year, he wrote 155 reports, issued 266 citation and warnings and made 61 arrests.  He also took it upon himself to complete several SARA projects which directly impacted the community in a positive way. Officer Spriggs continuously makes an effort to attend trainings to help further his career.  He has shown to have a very positive attitude and is an asset to not only the Prescott Valley Police Department, but the Town of Prescott Valley as well.

When asked, fellow officers said that Officer Spriggs has shown his willingness and motivation to learn this difficult, yet rewarding career.  Officer Spriggs constantly steps up when both challenges and opportunities present themselves, and always involves himself in conversations among the squad as they pertain to our line of work.  Officer Spriggs, in his first year of service has shown to be an officer of great quality and character.  He has shown his ability to not only be a leader, but also a well-respected teammate.  Officer Ryan Spriggs deserves and has shown to have earned the award of Prescott Valley Police Rookie of the Year.

Unit of the Year – Patrol 

In 2014, the Patrol Section of the Town of Prescott Valley Police Department was comprised of 2 Lieutenants, 6 Sergeants, 6 corporals and 31 officers. Last year, the Patrol Division responded to over 23,000 calls for service, made more than 2,000 arrests, and wrote over 7,100 documented reports along with an additional 4,400 supplemental reports. Additionally the officers responded to over 600 accidents, wrote over 3,100 citations, issued over 4,900 warnings and more than 1,600 repair orders for minor equipment violations.

2014 was a challenging year for Patrol, with multiple retirements and turnover of officers, along with numerous injuries.  The Patrol Section worked efficiently, responding to both major and minor crimes and accidents in a timely manner. While the community continued to grow, the number of officers remained constant. The Patrol Division truly overcame and learned to do more with less, while providing a high level of service to the community.

The patrol officers of our department work 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Each day our officers encounter agitated, aggressive criminals and have to take action to protect the community and maintain law and order. Our officers interact with community members in need of help, and deal with major and minor issues, always solving the problem. Our officers ensure the Town of Prescott Valley remains safe and as a result, our community is thankful that they have such a dedicated and professional group of officers upholding the laws of the state and country.

Volunteer of the Year – Bob Jensen

Robert Jensen, or K-Bob as all of us know him, has been a volunteer with our agency since 2007. K-Bob was nominated by his Police Department family as the 2014 Volunteer of the year, for his work as a Patrol VIP. You will most likely never see K-Bob without his ball cap on, a Pepsi in his hand, and a smile on his face! He always has a good sense of humor and a positive demeanor. K-Bob has always stressed that he does this job because he wants to help, not for the recognition.

K-Bob is quick to help in any area he can, and always finds tasks that need to be completed, with little or no direction. He was instrumental in transporting vehicles to Phoenix during the redesign of the patrol vehicles and also assisted in getting additional drivers to assist. K-Bob has never wavered in his enthusiasm to the agency and does his job with the utmost dedication and consistency.

K-Bob has been a vital part in the upkeep, maintenance and design of the Mobile Command Post. He is the main driver and operator of the Mobile Command Post, in which he takes a great deal of pride. K-Bob is always reliable for anything from a midnight call-out to assist Patrol with a critical incident or a chili cook-off at a local church.

K-Bob gave 976 hours in 2014 as a volunteer, the most of all VIPs. This averages out to over 80 hours a month that he is donating for the greater good of our agency and community. K-Bob is a great example of the benefit and necessity of having the VIP Unit within our agency. Having VIPs like K-Bob make not only the daily operations of the Police Department run smoother, but he completes beneficial tasks that would otherwise go undone.  Thank you for your enthusiasm, commitment and ongoing dedication to our agency.

Avondale Police Officer Justin Iwen recently became the 2013 Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Officer of the Year.

Officer Iwen received the award at MADD’s annual event, which recognizes the commitment made by individuals to help make Arizona’s streets safer, by stepping up impaired driving enforcement and continuing the public’s education on the hazards of drinking and driving.

He was bestowed this honor because of his commitment to recognizing the importance of driver’s safety by detecting and removing impaired drivers from the streets of Avondale. Officer Iwen has participated in almost all the West Valley DUI Task Forces, and is always willing to offer his assistance with DUI investigations or accidents. Iwen also received a MADD DUI Enforcement Award for his enforcement efforts in Fiscal Year 2012/2013, conducting over 600 traffic stops, issuing over 240 citations and arresting over 50 individuals, all who were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Lieutenant Albert Bates, who supervises Avondale’s Traffic Division stated, “Officer Iwen has displayed a tremendous commitment to the safety of drivers. There is no doubt his enforcement efforts have made our streets safer.”

Officer Justin Iwen is a member of the Traffic Division for Avondale, and has been “Serving with Honor” for the Avondale Police Department since 2008.

Lieutenant Albert Bates, who supervises Avondale’s Traffic Division stated, “Officer Iwen has displayed a tremendous commitment to the safety of drivers. There is no doubt his enforcement efforts have made our streets safer.”

Officer Justin Iwen is a member of the Traffic Division for Avondale, and has been ‘Serving with Honor” for the Avondale Police Department since 2008.

The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is to “stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.” MADD is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking.