Hundreds of police officers at the local and state level are being honored for their efforts to stop impaired driving in Kentucky.
The Office of Highway Safety's annual awards ceremony was held in Lexington Tuesday.
Bill Bell, director of Kentucky's Office of Highway Safety, says the number of highway fatalities is on the decline. He says the state has seen about a three percent drop over the last three years. Bell says 400 officers are being honored for their enforcement efforts. "You know, they don't get paid a whole lot of money and it's a dangerous job, so we want to recognize them for doing the work they do," said Bell.
While police tactics are being scrutinized nationally, keynote speaker Lieutenant Governor Crit Luallen says many officers are doing what's right. "Clearly there have been numerous controversies recently on the national level concerning police situations, but this is a good time to remind ourselves that every single day, there are thousands of enforcement officers doing the right thing and making great sacrifices," said Luallen.
Bill Bell, meanwhile, says education, awareness, and enforcement are all working to bring down impaired related fatalities in Kentucky.?
