Crestview PD officers recognized by state

Crestview Police Officer Corey Newcomb and Sgt. Don Howe receive recognition awards from the Florida Law Enforcement Liaison for the police department’s participation in the organization’s annual Traffic Safety Challenge. With the Crestview officers are the FLEL’s Andrew Johnson and Florida Department of Transportation Chief Safety Officer Lora Hollingsworth. [Photo by Florida Law Enforcement Liaison Challenge]

CRESTVIEW — Two Crestview Police Department officers were recently honored at a statewide ceremony recognizing their efforts during the recent Florida Law Enforcement Liaison Program’s 2017 FDOT Florida Law Enforcement Traffic Safety Challenge.

Sgt. Don Howe and Officer Corey Newcomb traveled to Orlando to accept the award on behalf of Crestview’s other officers.

Newcomb led the agency in issuing the most seatbelt violations during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s May 27 to June 5 Click It Or Ticket campaign.

Howe was honored for coordinating the police department’s participation in the annual safety campaign.

“Once again, Florida had the most agencies participating and reporting for the Border to Border enforcement operation, with 114 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies taking part in this year’s event,” the LEL’s July newsletter stated.

The Crestview Police Department placed third in the state in its category of agencies with 21 to 50 officers, behind the Dade City Police Department and the Bradford County Sheriff's Office.

While at the conference, Crestview’s officers also attended a training course in the state’s Arrive Alive campaign.

“The goal of the LEL Program is to partner with law enforcement agencies to promote and increase participation in the NHTSA national enforcement waves and the annual Florida Law Enforcement Liaison Traffic Safety Challenge to increase awareness and participation in traffic safety-related efforts,” Andrew Johnson with the LEL program said.

“We take the safety of Crestview’s roads seriously,” Police Chief Tony Taylor said. “To have our efforts recognized at a state level shows our hard efforts are working.”

Taylor has noted that CPD is responsible for the safety of not just the city’s almost 25,000 residents, but also as many as 150,000 people traveling through Crestview every day, especially during the peak tourism season currently underway.

The Florida Law Enforcement Liaison Traffic Safety Challenge recognizes the best overall traffic safety programs in Florida.

The areas of concentration include efforts to enforce traffic safety laws and educate the public about distracted and impaired driving, motorcycle safety, occupant protection and child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, speed and aggressive driving, and other area issues that affect the safety of roadway users.

This challenge supports the goal of encouraging increased statewide enforcement of traffic safety laws to reduce traffic crashes, serious injuries and fatalities.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview PD officers recognized by state