2003 Top Troop

And the Winner Is…

This year’s Law Enforcement Challenge Awards Banquet, sponsored by Buckle Up Florida and FDOT was held on Friday, June 20th, at the A La Carte Pavilions in Tampa. The annual event began with a press conference, which kicked off the latest DUI “You Drink & Drive…You Lose” Enforcement Wave Campaign designed to remind the motoring public of the dangers of drinking and driving.

This year’s winner of the Buckle Up Florida Chief’s Challenge is Troop A. Troop A received this prestigious award for their hard work in providing enforcement and public education for the ten counties in the western panhandle. Last year, Troop A conducted 156 safety programs, reaching over 35,000 people. They helped to spearhead the highly successful Strikeforce 98, a massive traffic operation comprised of 39 separate law enforcement agencies along I-10 and US 98. Their aggressive enforcement efforts resulted in an 11% increase in DUI arrests, a 17% increase in seat belt citations, and a 22% increase in speeding citations. Most importantly, Troop A’s efforts contributed to a 9% decrease in traffic fatalities in the ten counties they serve.

Pictured above: Lt. Tommy Moore, Lt. Joe Tucker, Major Randy Brown, Colonel Chris Knight, Trooper Nixie Miller and Sgt. Lynn Flemming