The Porter County Drunk Driving Task Force recognized officers at an awards ceremony yesterday. Each year the Drunk Driving Task Force says thanks to the men and women who work to keep the roads safe from drunken drivers. Between November 1, 2013 and October 31, 2014 there were a total of 1,003 DUI arrests in Porter County. The previous year’s total was 1,184.
Porter County Sheriff’s Officer Paul Czupryn had the most number of DUI arrests of any officer; his total was 47. Officers from the following police departments were recognized: Burns Harbor, Chesterton, Kouts, Hebron, Indiana State Police, Portage, Porter, Sheriff’s Department and Valparaiso. Marie Buckingham, VIP Coordinator for MADD, Northwest Indiana, spoke at the recognition ceremony.
Members of the Drunk Driving Task Force are thankful to the officers, the Porter County Judges, and Adult Probation for their help in keeping the roads safe. Many stakeholders in Porter County are helping to reduce drunken driving.
This awards ceremony coincides with the National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. The holidays are an especially vulnerable time of year for drivers. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that in 2013 there were 10,076 people who died in crashes involving a drunk driver – someone died every 52 minutes.