Georgetown officers honored by MADD
Posted Jun 15, 2011
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| Pictured are Georgetown Police Officer Derek Jones and Master Patrol Officer Scott Hatch who were honored by MADD on May 18, 2011 |
Georgetown — MADD Massachusetts recently honored the Georgetown Police Department for its commitment to enforcing drunken driving laws and keeping roads safe at the annual Drive for Life law enforcement recognition breakfast at Devens Common Center on May 18. Annually, there are roughly 16,000 OUI arrests in Massachusetts every year, averaging out to nearly 44 drunken driving arrests per day, and one in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.
“Keeping our roads safe is dangerous and thankless work,” said David DeIuliis, MADD interim state executive director. “We consider the men and women of law enforcement everyday heroes and it is our honor and to recognize Master Patrol Officer Scott Hatch and Officer Derek Jones of the Georgetown Police Department and saying thank you for their commitment to enforcing our impaired driving laws.”
“The Georgetown Police Department takes a very proactive approach to OUI offenses,” said Georgetown Police Chief James Mulligan. “All of our officers understand that every arrest for OUI may stop a potential death of an innocent person, either a pedestrian or another motorist. I want to commend the work of MPO Hatch and Officer Jones in their efforts to protect the citizens and visitors of Georgetown.”
This year MADD Massachusetts honored 32 Massachusetts state troopers, 42 local police officers and four local police departments for their commitment to enforcing drunken driving laws and keeping roads safe. Combined, these officers made over 2,000 OUI arrests in 2010.
“While we’ve made progress over the last few years, drunk driving remains a very serious problem in Massachusetts,” said DeIuliis. “MADD will continue to support initiatives to save lives, including the passage of Senate Bill 1746 which would require ignition interlock devices (IIDs) for first offenders in Massachusetts.”
According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, there are over 4,000 repeat drunken driving offenders with ignition interlock devices installed in their cars. Of the over 1,600 repeat offenders who have completed the interlock program, only 27 have re-offended, which is a less than 2 percent recidivism rate. Interlocks are proven to be up to 90 percent effective, yet it is estimated that only one in eight convicted drunken drivers each year currently get the device, and most of those are repeat offenders.
Sixty-five percent of the public support mandatory interlocks for first time offenders, and 85 percent of the public support mandatory interlocks for repeat offenders.
Founded in 1980, MADD’s mission is to stop drunken driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. For more information about MADD, call 800-633-6233.
Copyright 2011 Georgetown Record. Some rights reserved
This article originally appeared in the Georgetown Record
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