2008 IACP National Law Enforcement Challenge

what is the challenge?

The Law Enforcement Challenge is a competition between similiar sizes and types of law enforcement agencies. It recognizes and rewards the best overall traffic safety programs in the United States. The areas of concentration are efforts to enforce laws and educate the public about occupant protection, impaired driving, and speeding. Departments submit applications that document the agency's effectiveness in these areas. The most effective and noteworthy safety programs combine officer training, public information, and enforcement to reduce crashes and injuries within their jurisdictions.

why is the challenge needed?

Sun FlowerStudies have proven that increased traffic enforcement in a community significantly decreases motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities. In fact, no single other program or strategy for making the roads safer works as well as law enforcement. the Challenge complements all other training and public information programs provided by NHTSA to promote traffic safety. The IACP has been contracted by NHTSA to manage the nationwide Challenge and is proud to have partnerships with groups such as the GHSA and NSA to expand the Challenge. The IACP believes the best way to promote and build participation in the national program is to encourage states to establish and conduct their own Challenge programs and then forward the most promising applications to the national competition.

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The competition encourages departments to boost their attention to traffic safety. It also provides opportunities to publicly recognize exemplory programs, advance incentives for continuing traffic safety activities, and document agency effectiveness that may be showcased in future grant proposals. Because every agency employs some traffic safety programs, participation in the Challenge does not require extra commitment on anyone's part. The winning agencies are recognized at the IACP Highway Safety Awards breakfast during the IACP's Annual Conference.

Views from the 2008 IACP Law Enforcement Challenge Awards--San Diego, California--November 11, 2008

Sun FlowerBelow are some pictures from the 2008 IACP Highway Safety Awards Breakfast honoring National Law Enforcement Challenge Program winners on November 11th in San Diego. You can click on each photo for a larger image. For more information about the Challenge program, visit the National Challenge website here.

Commissioner Joseph A. Farrow, California Highway Patrol

California Highway Patrol Officer singing the National Anthem

Members of the California Highway Patrol Color Guard

Commissioner Farrow welcomes everyone to San Diego and praises highway safety enforcement

Earl Sweeney, IACP Highway Safety Committee Chairman

GOHS Georgia Director Bob Dallas announcing the creation of two new GHSA awards at next year's IACP Conference

GOHS Georgia Director Bob Dallas encouraging all states to participate in the Challenge Program

Coweta County Sheriff's Office (GA) won the National Sheriffs Association Top Traffic Safety Unit Award

IACP is proud to work directly with NHTSA with the National Law Enforcement Challenge

Cumberland Region Law Enforcement Networks (TN) won the Multi-Jurisdictional Agency Award

Washington State Patrol won the Championship Class Award

Buffalo Grove Police Department (IL) won the Clayton J. Hall Memorial Award

J. Stannard Baker Award Winner Staff Sergeant Ian s. Mitchell of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada)

J. Stannard Baker Award Winner Officer Sean D. McGrath of the Crystal Lake Illinois Police Department

J. Stannard Baker Award Winner Leonard R. "Bob" Jacob, Director, Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) in Jacksonville, Florida.

Buffalo Grove Police Department (IL) winning a 2009 Ford Expedition EL.

All Challenge winners are eligible for vehicle prize drawings.