Police Patrol Division Wins Three State Awards

From Temple Terrace Public Information Officer Mike Dunn:

The has been honored with three awards in the Florida Law Enforcement Liaison Challenge Awards, officials announced July 25.

The Florida Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL) Program is a grant-funded program sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The goal of the program is to reduce the number of traffic-related injuries and fatalities by working with law-enforcement agencies across the state to increase the use of safety belts, reduce drunk driving and encourage other traffic safety initiatives. The LEL program sponsors annual awards to boost participation in these goals.

Awards are distributed in several categories based on the size of the department. Temple Terrace’s Patrol Division was honored with the following awards, which were announced July 22 in Orlando:

• Second place in Florida Law Enforcement Challenge. This rewards the best overall traffic safety programs in Florida, with a focus on enforcing and educating the public about occupant protection, impaired driving, speeding and other traffic-safety issues.
• Second place in Florida Click It or Ticket Challenge. This rewards agencies that address safety-belt usage in their communities, with an emphasis on proactive enforcement activity.
• Third place in Florida DUI Sustained Enforcement. This rewards agencies that dedicate a significant level of resources to impaired driving. The goal is to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes, fatalities and injuries in Florida by conducting high-visibility DUI enforcement and increasing public awareness of the state’s DUI problem.

Temple Terrace Police Capt. Michael Pridemore, head of the Patrol Division, called the awards “a testament to the work we do every day. We put a lot of work into all of these areas, and this is something the Temple Terrace Police Department — and our residents — can be proud of.”