IDAHO NATIONAL
Idaho
Transportation |
ISP
officers honored for efforts The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and ITD’s Office of Highway Operations and Safety honored three Idaho State Police troopers for their DUI enforcement efforts in Northern Idaho during a ceremony at the ISP regional office in Coeur d’Alene Thursday (Nov. 2). Troopers Paul Burke, Holly Branch and Jeff Jayne collectively arrested 158 impaired drivers in 2005 as part of Idaho’s DUI enforcement campaign, according to Glenn Cramer, Pacific Northwest Region law enforcement liaison for NHTSA. The three were responsible for nearly 20 percent of ISP’s total DUI arrests last year. “Our mission begins and ends with saving lives,” Cramer said. “The partnership between NHTSA, ITD’s OHOS and the ISP is essential in accomplishing this mission. “These troopers’ DUI enforcement is something that can make a positive impact to protect our families, friends and children,” he said. OHOS is funding the purchase of three Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) instruments to be provided to these troopers during the recognition event, according to Cramer. The equipment has proved valuable in helping to detect, arrest and prosecute impaired drivers, he said. Burke has been in law enforcement for more than 13 years. He joined ISP in 1997. During six of the past eight years Burke has arrested more impaired drivers than any other Coeur d’Alene region ISP officer. This year, Branch received the Kootenai County Substance Abuse Council’s “Top Cop” award for being the top DUI trooper for ISP in Kootenai County. She has worked for ISP since 1997. A former hunting guide in the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness area, Jayne joined ISP in 1999. He has arrested more than 300 impaired drivers during the past five years. He is a resident officer in the Sandpoint/Bonner County area. NHTSA provides funding to states to be used for traffic safety initiatives such as high-visibility DUI and seatbelt enforcement. The NHTSA Pacific Northwest Region is composed of Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. - - - - - Published 11-3-06 |