27 Troopers honored for drunk driving enforcement, prevention
LINCOLN, Neb. -- More than 25 Nebraska State Troopers have been honored for their efforts to remove impaired drivers from the road, as well as educate the public about the dangers of drunk driving.
Twenty-seven troopers were presented Hero Awards by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) during a ceremony held Tuesday at Wilderness Ridge in Lincoln. MADD honors law enforcement across the state for their daily work to keep drunk or drugged drivers off Nebraska roadways.
“This is a proud day for our NSP team, thanks to incredible work by our troopers across the state,” said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “These honors from MADD are a great recognition for the constant work it takes to keep roads safe, but they also serve as a reminder that the job is ongoing. We salute MADD for their invaluable work to keep the topic of impaired driving at the forefront of the safe-driving conversation.”
The troopers honored were:
| Troop B – Norfolk | Adult DUI Enforcement Team | Sgt. Ben Brakenhoff Sgt. John Mobley Sgt. Jesse Pfeifer Trp. Ray Johnson Trp. Kristen McCrea Trp. Andrew Bestenlehner Trp. Bryan Wiggins Trp. Dan Osuna-Salazar Trp. Madison Reynoldson Trp. Eric Kloster Trp. Kayla Reicks Trp. Tyler Mann |
| Troop C – Grand Island
| Adult DUI Enforcement Team
Adult DUI Enforcement | Trp. Ryan Stirn Trp. Luke Kelley Trp. Brandon Sutton Trp. Zach Lorang Trp. Cody Cassidy Trp. Matthew Richardson Trp. Jordan Girardi Trp. Kyle Gaudreault
Trp. Ryan Stirn |
| Troop E - Scottsbluff | Adult DUI Enforcement
Education and Awareness | Trp. Isaiah Jaramillo
Trp. Timothy Flick |
| Troop H - Lincoln | Adult DUI Enforcement Team
Adult DUI Enforcement | Sgt. Michael Thorson Trp. Ben Nguyen Trp. Jamieson Brown Trp. Nathan Knudson Trp. Ethan Schroeder
Trp. Ben Nguyen Trp. Ethan Schroeder |
In 2020, NSP troopers arrested nearly 1,000 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They also conduct hundreds of events across the state each year to educate Nebraska’s youth about the dangers of drinking and driving. So far in 2021, troopers have made more than 850 DUI arrests.
MADD also honored officers, deputies, and advocates from several other agencies and organizations around the state.
