Two Johnson County sheriff’s deputies are among the recipients of Indiana Criminal Justice Institute’s (ICJI) Traffic Safety All-Star Award.
Deputies Andrew Eggebrecht and Dillon Dallas were among 62 police officers from around the state who were honored during a ceremony at Victory Field, according to a press release from ICJI.
To qualify for the award, an officer must be nominated by their department and have made at least 20 operating while intoxicated arrests and have participated in one of the state’s enhanced enforcement campaigns in the previous year. Eggebrecht and Dallas both more than met the qualifications with 34 OWI arrests each, statistics show.
“Every time an officer makes a stop for drunk or drug-impaired driving, they potentially save a life,” Devon McDonald, ICJI Executive Director, said in the release. “Our roads and communities are safer, and people are alive today, thanks to the actions of these brave men and women.”
The Traffic Safety All-Star awards program was created by ICJI three years ago to recognize officers who go above and beyond to stop impaired driving, ICJI officials say.
Each officer demonstrated this by working to educate motorists about the importance of safe driving and working overtime to enforce Indiana’s traffic laws. This often meant conducting extra high visibility patrols or sobriety checkpoints during peak travel periods and holidays associated with drinking, ICJI officials say.
In total, the 62 officers recognized made nearly 3,000 operating while intoxicated arrests last year. Despite their efforts, still, approximately 1 in 4 fatal crashes in Indiana involve a drunk driver, ICJI statistics show.
