Reno Reporter

The Reno Police Department’s (RPD) Traffic Section and several of its officers were just recognized for outstanding contributions to enhancing traffic safety in Reno at the 2022 Nevada Traffic Safety Summit and Joining Forces Award Ceremony. Awards were received in the following categories: 

• Reno Police Department Traffic Section - Program of the Year - Regional School Safety Zone Initiative: With the assistance of a grant provided through the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety, the Reno Police Department, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and entities involved in traffic safety in northern Nevada, worked to reduce student involved crashes to 10 in Washoe County (six within Reno) during the 2021-2022 academic calendar year. This was down from 31 student-involved crashes (20 within Reno) in the 2019-2020 academic calendar year, one of which was a fatal crash. The program emphasizes regular and ongoing collaborative efforts between law enforcement, engineering, and education partners. These partnerships remain active and strong today.
• Sergeant Alan Hollingsworth - 2022 Joining Forces - Program Coordinator of the Year - Northern Region: Joining Forces is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement program that promotes statewide enforcement in the areas of impaired or distracted driving, pedestrian safety, speeding and seat belt use.
• Officer Michael Lawton - 2022 Outstanding Performance in Reducing Impaired Drivers:  Officer Lawton is one of four dedicated Reno Police Department DUI officers, serving as the department’s lead drug recognition expert. His work demonstrated his commitment to enforcing impaired driving laws, removing 178 impaired drivers from our roadways in the past year.
• Officer Paul Riedel - 2022 Outstanding Performance in Enforcement of Speed Limits:  Officer Riedel’s enforcement efforts focused heavily on the number one contributing factor to fatal traffic crashes in Nevada - speeding.  Of the almost 1,200 citations Officer Riedel issued in the past year, just shy of 900 were for speeding violations.
• Officer Matthew Moore - 2022 Outstanding Performance in Increasing Pedestrian Safety:  Officer Moore focused on enforcement of laws that keep non-motorists safe on City streets. Of the almost 1,000 citations Officer Moore issued in the past year, many of them were for violations which endanger pedestrians.

“From implementing innovative and collaborative programming to leading extremely dedicated enforcement efforts, I am incredibly grateful for our Traffic Safety team,” said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. “The work these men and women do around the clock truly makes Reno a safer place. These awards are extremely well-deserved and show just how lucky we are to have the best officers at the Reno Police Department.”     

“The Reno Police Department Traffic Section and those they partner with, such as the City’s traffic engineers and communications team, work tirelessly to enhance the safety of motorists and other vulnerable road users including pedestrians and micromobility users,” said Reno’s Chief of Police Jason Soto. “This prestigious recognition is a reflection of the excellent work these officers do everyday, on the streets and behind the scenes, too help keep our residents safe.”

The Nevada Traffic Safety Summit is hosted by the Nevada Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety, bringing together safety professionals with representatives from engineering, enforcement, medical professionals, education and communications professionals, and others to share best practices to reach the ultimate goal of Zero Fatalities in Nevada.

Follow RPD on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or download the MyRPD app to get up-to-date police information in Reno. Those interested in joining the RPD team are encouraged to visit Reno.gov/Jobs.

Original source can be found here.