The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) won the 2006 National Law Enforcement Challenge Highway Safety Award, awarded on October 16 at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.

Winning in the large agency category, the Challenge award program is designed to recognize law enforcement agencies that use excellent strategies to promote highway safety. Tom Hackney, Assistant Chief, Zone 4, accepted the award on behalf of JSO at Tuesday's IACP Highway Safety Awards Breakfast.

In notifying the agency of the award, JSO was cited for a successful three pronged strategy to reduce traffic crashes in Duval County: officer training, enforcement of traffic laws, and public awareness campaigns. In 2006, the year for which the department is recognized, there were 147 traffic fatalities in Jacksonville. In 2005 the number was 163, and from Jan.1, 2007 to Oct. 15,   there have been 136 traffic related fatalities on Jacksonville roadways.

JSO provides specialized training to all of the sworn personnel and Community Service Officers (CSO) in the agency on traffic laws, crash investigations, and standardized field sobriety testing.  Also, all of its Traffic and DUI Enforcement Officers are certified in the use of Radar / Laser and In-Car Video taping techniques.  With 100% of all sworn officers in the agency trained in occupant protection, impaired driving, speed enforcement and traffic related issues, JSO has enhanced responsiveness to traffic calls, ticketing and DUI enforcement.

In 2006 officers issued more than 243,395 citations and of those citations 60,900 were for speeding.

JSO was also recognized for its participation in several state and national traffic initiatives such as Celebrate Safely; W.H.A.L.E. Check.; Recipes for the Road; Buckle Up Florida; Safety Stand Down; Safety Fairs; Click It or Ticket; and You Drink, You Drive, You Lose. These initiatives raise public awareness of traffic issues and promote the importance of safe driving techniques by licensed drivers.
 
"I am pleased that the hard work of the men and women of our agency has received this recognition," said Sheriff John H. Rutherford.

 "Our highly trained patrol and enforcement officers work diligently to enforce the traffic laws and to educate the public on the need to be safe, defensive drivers, cyclists and pedestrians," he added.

The mission of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is to protect the lives and property of the citizens of this community, to preserve the peace and to prevent crime and disorder while constantly guarding personal liberties as prescribed by law.
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