Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) – On Monday, July 27, 2020 the SC Department of Public Safety awarded the Lexington Police Department their 2019 DUI Agency of the Year. The award was accepted by Lexington Police Chief Terrance Green.
Special Programs Manager Brent Kelly and Law Enforcement Liaison Greg Griggs of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety Office of Highway Safety Justice Programs presented Chief Green with the award. This award is given each year to an agency that works to reduce fatal DUI crashes by aggressively patrolling with well-trained officers who are looking for drivers operating under the influence. The department's education and prevention efforts also play a large part in the awards recipient. DUI arrest and convictions are measured against other agencies across the state before they select the winner of the annual award.
The Lexington Police Department focuses on the reduction of collisions that are caused by intoxicated drivers in several ways. First, they ensure that their Traffic Division’s officers are well-trained and up to date with the latest techniques and equipment necessary to identify drivers who are under the influence. Once they’ve identified a driver they believe is intoxicated, they closely follow all current laws and procedures required by state law to successfully prosecute cases against those drivers. Along with the arrest they make, they also focus on prevention and education on the dangers of DUI.
Although the Traffic Division is their front-line force against drivers who are under the influence, all Lexington officers are ever vigilant for drivers that may be a danger to themselves or others because they are under the influence of an intoxicant. Over the years, they have reduced traffic collisions caused by these drivers through education and if necessary, by arresting them, prosecuting them, and getting them off the streets of Lexington.
Along with the Agency of Year Award, each year, a number of Lexington Officers receive awards for their individual work in stopping these collisions.
