West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program honors law enforcement for safety enforcement efforts

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Law enforcement officials from around the state of West Virginia were honored on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center as part of the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) annual Highway Safety Awards Luncheon.

Award categories included speed enforcement, seat belt enforcement, DUI enforcement, distracted driving enforcement, productive enforcement, eCitations, Target Red enforcement, and DRE (Drug Recognition Enforcement).

"Law enforcement participation in our program is a critical component of our game plan to address highway safety emphasis areas, such as speeding and aggressive driving, impaired driving, occupant protection, distracted driving, motorcycle safety and awareness, vulnerable road users, and work zone safety," said Jack McNeely, WV GHSP Division Director.

"We are here to acknowledge and honor that participation. Even though GHSP-funded enforcement is rebounding from the COVID-induced lull, there is much work to be done. We need all hands-on deck to continue the downward trend in fatalities on West Virginia's nearly 39,000 miles of public roadways."

Guest speakers included Col. Jack Chambers, Superintendent of West Virginia State Police (WVSP), West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Everett Frazier and Scott Eplin, Assistant Deputy Commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

"This is a comprehensive effort aimed at safeguarding the lives of every individual in this state," Frazier said. "These initiatives can help save lives, creating a safer driver environment in West Virginia."

Eplin said, "These are the men and women that protect all of us and our families on the roadways. Through the state Department of Transportation, we have a goal of zero fatalities. We work hard at constructing and maintaining the roadways. It is the men and women in uniform that enforce all the laws on the book that keeps the roadway safe."

The keynote speaker was Frank Enko, Region 3 Regional Program Manager and Law Enforcement Liaison at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Enko is a former Baltimore County Police Department, serving 35 years. Enko is also the recipient of the Maryland Highway Safety Office Lifetime Achievement Award.

The following is a list of awards presented on Thursday:

Top Productive Enforcement: WVSP Charles Town, Charleston PD, Kanawha CSO, West Hamlin PD, Clarksburg PD, Huntington PD

Top Target Red Enforcement: C.D. White | St. Albans PD

Top Target Red Enforcement: Beckley PD

Largest eCitation Increase - WVSP: WVSP Parkways Authority Kanawha, WVSP Belle, WVSP Parkways Authority Mercer, WVSP Martinsburg

Largest eCitation Increase: Barboursville PD, Charleston PD, Mineral CSO, Summersville PD, Morgan CSO, Beckley PD

Top eCitation Usage: Charleston PD, Beckley PD, Barboursville PD, Kanawha CSO, Ranson PD, Charles Town PD

Top eCitation Usage - WVSP: WVSP Parkways Authority Kanawha, WVSP Parkways Authority Raleigh, WVSP Parkways Authority Mercer, WVSP South Charleston

Top Speed Enforcement: M.A. Cole | WVSP Charles Town, J.J. Napier | West Hamlin PD, S.R. Davis | Randolph CSO, J. Weber | Huntington PD, G. Mitchell | Wheeling PD, R.K. Marks | Charleston PD J.W. Eary | Kanawha CSO, P.S. Kapeluck | Charleston PD, K.W. Oldham | Charleston PD, W. Ray, Jr. | Beckley PD

Top Speed Enforcement:Charleston PD, WVSP Charles Town, WVSP South Charleston, Wheeling PD, West Hamlin PD, Kanawha CSO, Huntington PD, Public Service Commission of WV, Beckley PD, Berkeley CSO

Top DRE:M. Perry | Fairmont PD, A. Bias | Logan PD, G. Myers | Glen Dale PD, S. Adams | Kanawha CSO, A. Beauvais | South Charleston PD, B. Palmeri | Weirton PD

Top Seat Belt Enforcement:B.A. Foster | Charleston PD, F.D. Shelton | Beckley PD, M.A. Cole | WVSP Charles Town, J.J. Napier | West Hamlin PD, J.W. Eary | Kanawha CSO, J. Wilhite | Beckley PD

Top Seat Belt Enforcement:Beckley PD, Charleston PD, WVSP Charles Town, Kanawha CSO, Huntington PD,

CPST of the Year:Abby Rader

Top DUI Enforcement:A. Walters | Putnam, CSO S. Adams | Kanawha CSO, J. Luciano | Dunbar PD, D. Amick | Beckley PD, T. Jenkins | Ranson PD, J. Thaxton | Kanawha CSO

Top DUI Enforcement:Putnam CSO, Kanawha CSO, Berkeley CSO, Charleston PD, Beckley PD, Jefferson CSO, Monongalia CSO, WVSP Martinsburg, Huntington PD, Dunbar PD

Top Distracted Driving Enforcement: C. Kenny | Ripley PD, J.W. Eary | Kanawha CSO, G. Mitchell | Wheeling PD, B.A. Foster | Charleston PD, S.R. Lemon | Morgan CSO

Top Distracted Driving Enforcement:Kanawha CSO, Ripley PD, Beckley PD, Wheeling PD, Charleston PD, WVSP South Charleston

Top Productive Enforcement: M.A. Cole | WVSP Charles Town, K.W. Oldham | Charleston PD, R.K. Marks | Charleston PD, B.A. Foster | Charleston PD, J.W. Eary | Kanawha CS

For more information on WV GHSP and its program initiatives, click HERE.