For East Lansing police Officer Dean Kelley, seeing the damage drunken driving can cause firsthand is a reminder to remain vigilant as he patrols the city streets.
“Anytime you work one accident scene where someone (has) been killed by a drunken driver, it sticks with you,” Kelley said.
Kelley, alongside MSU police officer Casey Christman, was nominated for the 2011 Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, Michigan Lifesaver Award.
Recipients were chosen based on the number of DUI and OWI arrests they made and their work in drunken driving prevention and awareness efforts, said Janette Kolodge, state executive director of MADD Michigan.
“Police officers do sometimes an unrewarded job,” Kolodge said. “They’re usually the first people at the scene, and we believe strongly in recognizing great officers for all their great work in saving lives.”
Both officers were recognized during the MADD Lifesaver ceremony on Thursday.
In 2010, Kelley made about 76 OWI arrests, East Lansing police Capt. Bill Mitchell said. About 643 arrests were made overall.
Almost 200 more OWI arrests were made by East Lansing police in 2010 than in 2009, from 451 to 643 arrests. The department’s priority for increased enforcement caused a higher number of arrests, Mitchell said.
“The numbers show that officers go out (and) make arrests usually every night for OWI,” he said.
With underage students and a large bar scene in East Lansing, MSU police try to educate young adults through awareness programs in the dorms and on campus, MSU police Sgt. Dan Munford said.
The growing number of taxicabs in East Lansing has helped reduce drunken driving in the area, Munford said.
Still, some don’t take advantage of safe transportation, Kelley said.
“Here in East Lansing, (there are) so many cabs, (and it is) so cheap to get a ride home. It makes absolutely no sense to drink and drive,” he said.
Although Kelley frequently arrests students for drunken driving, the issue is not isolated to young adults, he said.
“I arrest a lot of college students for drunk driving, (but) I arrest a lot of non-college students as well,” he said.
Despite the prevalence of drinking among young adults in the area, MSU is not at higher risk of drunken driving accidents than other cities, Munford said.
Although he’s appreciative of his nomination, Kelley doesn’t work to stop drunken drivers for the recognition, he said.
And for Christman, helping society and making the roads safer is enough motivation.
“It’s (not as much) about making other people feel safe as it is about keeping people safe whether or not they know it,” he said.
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