Seven members of the Hollister Police Department have been
recognized for their efforts to reduce the incidence of driving
under the influence in 2009, according to a statement from
police.
Seven members of the Hollister Police Department have been recognized for their efforts to reduce the incidence of driving under the influence in 2009, according to a statement from police.
The officers received plaques and pins at a regional awards luncheon hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. While MADD California has for years hosted an Annual Hero Awards Dinner in Sacramento to honor officers across the state, this was its first regional awards event, honoring officers in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. The luncheon was held Thursday at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas.
The following officers were acknowledged for their efforts:
Officer Matt Weiss with 77 DUI arrests
Officer Bo Leland with 64 DUI arrests
Officer Chris Wells with 50 DUI arrests
Officer David Anderson with 29 DUI arrests
Officer Erik Morris with 25 DUI arrests
Weiss was recognized for having made the most DUI arrests by a single officer in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. He was also the Hollister Police Department’s MADD California Hero Award recipient in April.
Sgt. Don Magnuson and Sgt. Eric Olson also were recognized.
Magnuson was recognized for having made 18 DUI arrests and turning an additional 20 arrests over to other officers.
A special award was given to Olson, who drafted and administered a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety that underwrote the majority of the expenses for increased DUI enforcement. In addition, he outfitted a trailer used for DUI checkpoints, and coordinated efforts such as saturation patrols, checkpoints and serving arrest warrants for DUI drivers.
“I’m very proud of the work these officers have done,” said Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller in the statement. “Anyone who has had a friend or relative killed or injured by a drunk driver knows firsthand the importance of the efforts these officers have made.”
