A local policeman has received statewide honors for his efforts in making drunk driving arrests in Summerville.

Police Officer Stanley Wofford received the 2007 HERO Award from Georgia’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). He was recognized March 21 at MADD Georgia’s annual recognition event for law enforcement at the Macon Centreplex Conference Center. More than 400 law enforcement officers, partners, volunteers and corporate sponsors from around the state were honored.

The HERO Award is based on the law enforcement agency’s size and how many arrests an officer made in that year. Officer Wofford was recognized for making 58 DUI arrests.

Since winning the award, Wofford has not let up. This past Saturday Wofford made five DUI arrests in one night.

For years, Summerville Police Chief Stan Mosley has used his personal benchmark of making four DUI arrests in one night to motivate officers to get out and make the streets safer. Now the chief’s record goes to his newest employee on the police force.

“That is pretty darn good. I’ve been patting myself on the back for years because I got four (drunks) in one night,” Chief Mosley said. “That is a good eye on traffic there. You’ve got to give him credit on that one.”

Although The News’ statistics show Wofford making 53 DUI arrests in 2007, MADD counts their DUIs a little different. MADD also counts a child endangerment charge as a separate DUI. The News counts child endangerment because of a DUI as part of the initial traffic stop.

LOST LIVES

Thousands of people lost their lives in a drunk driving crash in 2007 and a half million more were injured.  MADD Georgia is committed to supporting our officers who protect and serve without hesitation. MADD’s “Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving” has four key elements and the first is unprecedented support for intensive high visibility law enforcement. The key here is to deter future drunk drivers, to stop them before they decide to get behind the wheel impaired. MADD supports drunk driving crackdowns at key times such as Labor Day and the holiday season, as well as enforcement efforts throughout the year.

This is the fourth year for the event that recognizes the outstanding commitment of law enforcement in their efforts to keep the roads of Georgia safe. Carl McDonald, Law Enforcement Initiatives Coordinator for MADD National, was the keynote speaker for the event.

WINNERS

The following is a list of the 2008 MADD Georgia Law Enforcement Award Winners:

MADD Officer of the Year Award

Sergeant Pete Lamb of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office

MADD Agency of the Year Award

Remerton Police Department

MADD Rookie of the Year Award

Georgia State Patrol Trooper G. M. Kelly (Post 5-Dalton)

MADD Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network of the Year Award

East Central Traffic Enforcement Network

MADD Georgia State Patrol Post of the Year Award

Georgia State Patrol Post 13, Tifton

MADD Georgia H.E.A.T. Unit of the Year Award

Atlanta Police Department DUI Task Force

Jerry Thompson Law Enforcement Partnership Award

Mrs. Cindy Adams – Chief Assistant Solicitor for Bibb County State Court

MADD Georgia Golden Achievement Award

Officer Timothy Dunn of the DeKalb County Police Department

MADD Georgia DUI Hero Awards

Category One  (Agencies with 1 – 10 Officers)

Officer – Officer Chad Folsom of the Remerton Police Department (136 DUI Arrests)

Agency – Remerton Police Department  (237 DUI Arrests)

Category Two (Agencies with 11 – 25 Officers)

Officer – Officer Stanley Wofford of the Summerville Police Department (58 DUI Arrests)

Agency – Rabun County Sheriff’s Office (112 DUI Arrests)

Category Three (Agencies with 26 – 50 Officers)

Officer – Corporal Bradley Stone of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office (68 DUI Arrests)

Agency – Houston County Sheriff’s Office (425 DUI Arrests)

Category Four (Agencies with 51 – 100 Officers)

Officer – Patrolman W. D. Nesbit of the Smyrna Police Department (153 DUI Arrests)

Agency – Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (590 DUI Arrests)

Category Five (Agencies with 101 – 250 Officers)

Officer – Officer Joshua Ott of the Roswell Police Department (168 DUI Arrests)

Agency – Athens Clark County Police Department (860 DUI Arrests)

Category Six (Agencies with 251 + officers)

Officer – Officer Howard Street of the Macon Police Department (184 DUI Arrests)

Agency – Cobb County Police Department (2803 DUI Arrests)

Category Seven (Georgia State Patrol, excluding DUI Task Force)

Trooper – TFC Jonathan E. Cross of Post 42, Rincon (95 DUI Arrests)

Post – Georgia State Patrol Post 13, Tifton (432 DUI Arrests)

Category Eight (DUI Task Force, Specialty or H.E.A.T. Units)

Officer – Officer Alvin Rodriguez of the Atlanta Police Department DUI Task Force  (309 DUI Arrests)

Agency – Atlanta Police Department DUI Task Force (1284 DUI Arrests)