MPs honored for their commitment to enforcing drink-driving laws

From the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office:

Last month, three officers from the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office received awards for their dedication to enforcing drunk driving laws. The Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office takes the task of keeping Muscatine County roads safe very seriously, and we are pleased with the work our officers do to ensure that safety.

On June 6, 2024, Detective Adam Bell received the Outstanding Performance Award at the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) annual conference for his work as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). During the 2023 calendar year in which Detective Bell was certified as a DRE in May 2023, he performed 64 drug influence assessments in the state of Iowa.

Each year, approximately 100 people die in alcohol or drug-related traffic accidents in Iowa. The Iowa DRE program is an important tool in the fight against drug-related driving and makes Iowa’s roads safer.

Detective Bell is very committed to this program because the evaluations are in addition to his daily work as a detective with the Criminal Investigation Division and are usually done at night or early in the morning. Detective Bell says, “This is thanks to the commitment of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Muscatine Police Department and Wilton Police Department to reduce driving under the influence.”

On June 27, 2024, Corporal Jake Walker and Deputy Damien Maynard were awarded the MADD Hero Award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) at the Iowa Cubs baseball game in Des Moines, Iowa. MADD Iowa Program Specialist Shannon Booth stated, “I am so proud to recognize our MADD Hero Award winners. Partnering with the Iowa Cubs was a great way to show police how much we appreciate their efforts to save lives. Every year, thousands of people across the country die from drunk driving accidents.”

Corporal Walker, who finished 2023 with 30 arrests for driving under the influence (OWI), says, “I take great pride in my duty to serve and protect the community in which I live. I strive for professionalism and uphold the expectations of my job with the utmost diligence in every call I am faced with. I believe that OWI enforcement is essential to the safety of our roadways and the citizens who travel them daily. I hope that the citizens of our county feel safer on our roads knowing that we diligently look for intoxicated drivers and take the appropriate action when we encounter them on the highway. It is a great honor to have MADD recognize our efforts to enforce anti-intoxicated driving laws.”

Deputy Maynard, who finished 2023 with 55 OWI arrests, stated, “I have always been passionate about OWI enforcement and believe it is critical to community safety. I am honored to receive an award from MADD.”

MADD Iowa honored 37 officers from across the state with pins and certificates. These officers were nominated by other officers in their department for their efforts to save lives by conducting traffic enforcement and public education.

I couldn’t be prouder of not only these deputies, but the entire Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office staff. They are there every day, giving 110% to keep the citizens of this county safe.

It is appropriate that we issue this statement on our national Independence Day, a day of travel and celebration. With that in mind, please be safe on your travels, be aware of your surroundings, watch your speed, and if necessary, designate a driver who does not drink. I would rather have a quiet, boring night than have our employees have to tell us that a loved one has died.

Thank you and happy holidays,

Sheriff Quinn Riess