Law enforcement honored for seat belt, child restraint enforcement

Sep. 13—FRANKFORT — More than 100 Kentucky state and local law enforcement officers were honored for extraordinary efforts to protect drivers and their passengers, in keeping with Gov. Andy Beshear's high priority of highway safety.

The occasion was the Governor's Occupant Protection Enforcement Awards, held at the Embassy Suites in Lexington. Those receiving awards represented 91 law enforcement agencies.

"Our law enforcement are the heroes who work to keep our families safe by ensuring everyone is buckling up and using correct car seats and boosters for children," said Gov. Andy Beshear. "Their efforts are saving lives and I am grateful as Governor, and as a dad, for their dedication to our commonwealth and our people."

Awards were presented by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's (KYTC) Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) to those with the most occupant protection citations in each agency and in each division from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. Award recipients received a plaque, while the top division winners were presented with the Highway Safety All-Star Award — a commemorative baseball bat from Louisville Slugger. There are six divisions, broken down by number of officers within the agency, and a division for Kentucky State Police.

In addition to the individual and divisional awards, KYTC Secretary Jim Gray presented the Highway Safety Enforcement Award of Excellence to the family of Scott County Deputy Caleb Conley. Deputies from the Scott County Sheriff's Office were present to accept the award on the family's behalf. Deputy Conley was shot and killed on May 22 while making a routine traffic stop while working overtime on a highway safety grant.

"By all accounts, Deputy Conley was a dedicated police officer and family man," said Secretary Gray. "We're honored to present this award to his wife, Rachel, and mother, Jolene, for his outstanding service in the advancement of highway safety in the Commonwealth of Kentucky."

Deputy Conley was the past recipient of the Impaired Driving Enforcement award and is this year's recipient of the Occupant Protection Enforcement Award for the Scott County Sheriff's Office.

Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers addressed the attendees and praised their efforts to save lives in their communities.

"Writing citations is not a strategy designed to increase arrests; in fact, it may result in decreased citation counts over time, which is our goal," said Chief Weathers. "However, there is no question that we would rather write a seat belt or car restraint citation than make a death notification."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts, when worn correctly, are proven to reduce the risk of fatal injuries to front-seat occupants by 45 percent and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans. Also, according to NHTSA, properly installed child restraints reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars. In light trucks, SUVs and minivans, properly deployed child restraints reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 58 percent for infants and 59 percent for toddlers.

Each year more than half of those killed on Kentucky's roadways are not properly restrained in a seat belt, car seat or booster seat. Kentucky's current seat belt usage rate is 86.9%.

Awards were presented to the following:

INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

Sergeant Nathan Nogueras Alexandria Police Department

Officer Tyler Ballard Ashland Police Department

Patrolman Charles Colby Patterson Barbourville Police Department

Sergeant Logan Hampton Benton Police Department

Officer Joe Johnson Berea Police Department

Deputy Daniel Tracy Boone County Sheriff's Department

Deputy David Thompson Bourbon County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Mark Wheeler Boyd County Sheriff

Deputy Chad Edward Simpson Bullitt County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Nick Dues Calloway County Sheriff's Office

Sergeant Donald H. Dornheggen II Campbell County Police Department

Officer Adam Black Campbellsville Police Department

Deputy Louis Armstrong Christian County Sheriff's Office

Officer Andrew Jones Cincinnati N KY Airport Police Department

Deputy Colton Lewis Clark County Sheriff's Office

Officer Scott Hildebrand Cold Spring Police Department

Specialist Doug Ullrich Covington Police Department

Captain Aaron Rainwater Danville Police Department

Deputy Cameron Edwards Daviess County Sheriff's Office

Officer Tyler Creech Edgewood Police Department

Officer Gary Mark Elizabethtown Police Department

Officer Robert Martin Erlanger Police Department

Detective Brett Ritchie Flatwoods Police Department

Sergeant Logan Mullins Fleming County Sheriff's Office

Officer Michael Stanaland Florence Police Department

Officer Jeremy Moore Fort Thomas Police Department

Patrolman Taylor Bellau Fort Wright Police Department

Officer Jerry Wise Frankfort Police Department

Deputy Brandon Purnell Franklin County Sheriff Office

Deputy Whitney Parsons Garrard County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Garret Clark Graves County Sheriff's Office

Sergeant Matt Matney Greensburg Police Department

Patrolman Adam Fauver Greenville Police Department

Patrolman Kenneth Helton Harlan Police Department

Patrolman Daniel Miller Hazard Police Department

Officer Daniel Pennaman Henderson Police Department

Patrol Allen Weston Hustonville Police Department

Chief John Sturniolo Irvine Police Department

Captain Elvis Noble Jackson Police Department

Officer Aaron Gutermuth Jeffersontown Police Department

Deputy/K-9 Handler Jeff Castle Johnson County Sheriff's Office

Trooper Vincent Hazelwood KSP CVE Central Region

Inspector Justin Kilgore KSP CVE East Region

Master Officer Mark Townsend KSP CVE West Region

Senior Trooper Derral Redwine, Jr. KSP Post 01

Trooper Kirby Broadbent KSP Post 02

Senior Trooper Wesley Thompson KSP Post 03

Master Trooper Eric Hines KSP Post 04

Trooper Hayden Kilbourne KSP Post 05

Trooper Caleb Dicken KSP Post 06

Trooper Toney Allen KSP Post 07

Trooper First Class Daniel M. Armstrong KSP Post 08

Trooper Ricky Newsom KSP Post 09

Trooper Sammy Faris KSP Post 10

Trooper Justin Vanhook KSP Post 11

Trooper William J. Watts KSP Post 12

Senior Trooper Branden Watts KSP Post 13

Trooper William Galloway KSP Post 14

Senior Trooper Ricky Cross KSP Post 15

Trooper Mason Hendricks KSP Post 16

Officer John Brooks LaGrange Police Department

Patrolman Christopher Steward Lakeside Park-Crestview Hills Police Department

Officer John Grevious Lancaster Police Department

Chief Deputy Jamie Ferrie Larue County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Noah Ritchie Laurel County Sheriff's Office

Officer Robbie Lile Lawrenceburg Police Department

Sergeant David Flannery Lexington Police Department

Deputy Ron Luster Lincoln County Sheriff's Office

Sergeant Andrew Jackson London Police Department

Patrolman Teddy B. Newsome Louisa Police Department

Sergeant Ronald Fey Louisville Metro Police Department

Deputy David Carroll Lyon County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Josh Anderson Marshall County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Blake Wagner Mason County Sheriff's Office

Officer Cody Rogers Mayfield Police Department

Detective Jeff Hord Maysville Police Department

Lieutenant Barry Cowan Middlesboro Police Department

Deputy Dalton Hayes Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

Officer Jacob Patton Mount Sterling Police Department

Sergeant Adam Stallsworth Mount Vernon Police Department

Sergeant Michael Roberson Mt. Washington Police Department

Officer Dylan Bobo Murray Police Department

Sergeant Thomas Blair Nelson County Sheriff's Office

Lieutenant Daniel A. Delaney Newport Police Department

Deputy Mike Meece Oldham County Sheriff's Office

Patrolman Jason McKinney Owensboro Police Department

Officer Keith Thuline Paducah Police Department

Patrolman Rick Grigson Park Hills Police Department

Chief Brandon Hollingsworth Pineville Police Department

Patrolman Keegan Williams Prestonsburg Police Department

Lieutenant Mark J. Kirkpatrick Radcliff Police Department

Senior Officer Cody Grohoksi Richmond Police Department

Deputy Samuel A. Brock Rockcastle County Sheriff's Office

Deputy Caleb Conley Scott County Sheriff's Office

Chief Nick Prock Scottsville Police Department

Officer Jeremy Younger Shelbyville Police Department

Deputy Wyatt Harper Simpson County Sheriff's Office

Officer James Fetty Simpsonville Police Department

Officer Nick Taylor Somerset Police Department

Officer Tony Godbey, Jr. Stanford Police Department

Sergeant Ian Morton Stanton Police Department

Officer Billy G. Roberts Taylor Mill Police Department

Deputy/K9 Handler Gary Hicks Trigg County Sheriff's Office

Officer Thomas Bradford Villa Hills Police Department

Sergeant Michael Garner Whitesburg Police Department

Sergeant Jacob T. Zink Wilder Police Department

Officer Bryson Lawson Williamsburg Police Department

Sergeant Cody Blevins Williamstown Police Department

Detective Blake Gabbard Winchester Police Department