DENVER, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MADD Colorado, Youth In Action and UMADD Members presented 18 awards to outstanding Colorado Law Enforcement Officers dedicated to MADD' s mission at the 2009 MADD Colorado Law Enforcement Recognition Event. Over 57 nominations were received from various law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Colorado since March of 2009. The final 18 recipients were chosen from a panel of experts which included representatives from State highway safety agencies, as well as MADD Colorado volunteers, Youth In Actions Teams and UMADD members.

Ashley Beck, a Youth In Action Volunteer Adult Coordinator said of deciding the recipients, "It was a super tough decision and I feel that each officer deserves an award for any effort made to limit drunk driving is commendable - even if they've only made one arrest!" The goal of YIA and UMADD's recognition events are to recognize officers for their dedicated efforts in combating underage drinking and impaired driving. By hosting this event and the many smaller ones held throughout the year at local police departments, such as Brownies for Badges, continuous and sustainable relationships are created between youth, MADD Colorado, and local law enforcement.

Colorado MADD Youth in Action high school volunteers and UMADD members, under the direction of MADD's Youth Programming, developed the event, created the awards presentation and filled the roles of speakers and award presenters. "I have really been looking forward to today," said Emily Tompkins, MADD Colorado State Executive Director, "because not only do we get to recognize the extraordinary efforts of Colorado Law Enforcement who are so deserving, today we do so with the optimism and enthusiasm of our youth volunteers who are truly the future of Colorado." The youth-led event, held at the Hotel Monaco in Denver, offered award nominees, recipients, and guests, a delicious breakfast and more thanks from MADD Colorado's partners in traffic safety. "Colorado is honored and grateful to have these dedicated law enforcement officers who work tirelessly and unselfishly to keep roadways safe," said Glenn Davis, Manager of Impaired Driving Programs, Colorado Department of Transportation.

Each year, more than 6,000 people die from alcohol-related causes. In 2005, 2,035 youth ages 15-20 were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes. Of those, 1,387 youth aged 15-20 died in crashes involving a 15-20 year old alcohol-impaired driver. Studies show that the brain continues developing though the early 20s and that alcohol use can impair learning, memory, judgment and decision-making skills. According the Colorado Department of Public Health and Education, in 2007 nearly 9,000 Colorado teens were issued Minor In Possession or Minor in Consumption. 286 minors under 18 had a BrAC of greater than .004%. With increased enforcement of the 21 minimum drinking age, seat belt and DUI laws, Colorado will continue to see a reduction in preventable deaths and injuries.

MADD's UMADD and Youth In Action Law Enforcement Recognition Event recognizes officers for their dedicated efforts in combating underage drinking offenses, which are key factors in eliminating drunk driving. In Colorado in 2008, there were 218 alcohol-related crash fatalities, down from 226 in 2007, which is a testament to the men and women of Law Enforcement who were recognized today.

"As MADD Colorado's 2009 Statewide Sponsor, we're honored to be a part of this remarkable event to honor the fine men and women of the Colorado law enforcement community," says Darin L. Schanker, founding partner at the law firm of Bachus & Schanker, LLC. "As a personal injury law firm we've seen not only the devastating injuries and trauma that victims of drunk driver crashes suffer, but we've also seen the financial toll due to costly medical expenses and lost wages that can be equally devastating to the victims and their families. We're grateful for the dedicated efforts by our law enforcement officers to prevent underage drinking and keep our roads and communities safer."

MADD Colorado congratulates all of the recipients of the 2009 Law Enforcement Recognition awards.

2009 MADD Colorado Law Enforcement Recognition Event Award Recipients

Col. Mark V. Trostel Law Enforcement Officer of the Year - Trooper Mark Parsons, Colorado State Patrol, Alamosa, Colorado

MADD Colorado Hero Award - Trooper J. Vince Benavides, Colorado State Patrol, Alamosa, Colorado

Outstanding Military Dedication to Underage Drinking Prevention - Officer Bruce Punday & Officer Angela Muldoon, Provost Marshall Division, Fort Carson Police, Fort Carson, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to Party Patrol/Enforcement - Sergeant Tony Marsh, Investigator Lisa Maestras, Investigator Brian Turner, and Investigator Brian Dyet, Mesa County Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force, Grand Junction, Colorado.

Outstanding Dedication to Alcohol Compliance Checks - Investigator Jason Medina, Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division, Denver, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to Underage DUI Enforcement - Senior Deputy Leroy Olivas, Adams County Sheriff's Department

Highest Conviction Rate for Minor In Consumption/DUI - Officer Jonathan Lee, Lakewood Police Department, Lakewood, Colorado

Outstanding Team Dedication to MIP/MIC Enforcement - Sergeant Tony Marsh, Investigator Lisa Maestras, Investigator Brian Turner, and Investigator Brian Dyet, Mesa County Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force, Grand Junction, Colorado.

Outstanding Individual Dedication to MIP Enforcement (Rural) - Trooper Cord Maxwell, Colorado State Patrol, Alamosa, Colorado

Outstanding Individual Dedication to MIP Enforcement (Metro) - Deputy Jay Zachman, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department, Centennial, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to DUI Enforcement (Individual) - Officer Robin Holdstock, Boulder Police Department, Boulder, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to DUI Enforcement (Rural - Individual) - Trooper Jeffrey Thornton, Colorado State Patrol, Sterling, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to DUI Enforcement (Mountain - Individual) - Trooper Garret Reich, Colorado State Patrol, Montrose, Colorado

Outstanding Team Dedication to DUI Enforcement (Rural)- Officer Dino Gonzalez & Sgt. Stewart Curry, Basalt Police Department, Basalt, Colorado

Outstanding Team Dedication to DUI Enforcement (Metro) - Denver Police Department - DUI Unit, Denver, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to Seatbelt Enforcement - Trooper Shane Scovel, Colorado State Patrol, Castle Rock, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to School Outreach- Sgt. Wayne Granger, Commerce City Police Department, Commerce City, Colorado

Outstanding Dedication to Sobriety Check Points- Sgt. Edward Clark of the Colorado State Patrol, Fruita, Colorado

The goal of Youth In Action and Youth Volunteers is to reduce social and retail availability of alcohol to minors and to ensure enforcement of underage drinking laws. MADD formed the community-based Youth In Action partnership with concerned teens to look at the whole environment that often condones and contributes to underage drinking. Instead of just focusing their attention solely on their peers, Youth In Action teams look for community-based solutions such as roll call briefings, changing laws and policies that affect people's behavior and working with law enforcement.

The goal UMADD and MADD's College Initiatives is to find solutions to underage drinking, binge drinking and drunk driving. UMADD provides a bridge between college campuses and the community to foster a healthy collaboration and safe environment for students and citizens. UMADD educates students, faculty and staff concerning the scope of alcohol-related problems and engages them in effective prevention strategies.

MADD's Mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501 c3 charity with approximately 400 offices and 2 million members and supporters nationwide. Founded in 1980, MADD has helped save more than 300,000 lives. Visit www.madd.org, www.youthinaction.org, and/or http://www.revenue.state.co.us/liquor_dir/home.asp for more information.

SOURCE Mothers Against Drunk Driving Colorado

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