Pittsburg Police Department honored with AAA Safety Award

Police department receives traffic safety award for seventh consecutive year

During a special presentation at the Pittsburg City Commission meeting, Tuesday, June 12, the City of Pittsburg Police Department was honored with the AAA Kansas Community Traffic Safety Award. This is the seventh consecutive year the department has received the award, which recognizes police and sheriff departments around the state for their commitment to traffic safety practices and programs.

AAA Public and Government Affairs Manager Jennifer Haugh presented the award to the officers and commended them on the achievement.

“What is remarkable is that the last six have been platinum awards, the highest award AAA can bestow upon a law enforcement agency,” said Haugh. “No other agency, sheriff or police department has a more consistent track record of excellence than the Pittsburg Police Department.”

The police department received the award for its work to address seat belt usage, its data-driven approach to crime and traffic safety, and its efforts to enforce DUI violations.

Haugh shared statistics to demonstrate the impact these traffic safety improvements have made.

• Click it or Ticket violations went from 197 in 2012, to 225 in 2016, showing an increased law enforcement presence.
• Adult seat belt usage has climbed from 80 percent in 2012, to 87 percent in 2016. Likewise, teen seat belt usage went from 81 percent to 89 percent over the same period.
• SAFE schools are now reporting at 99 percent seat belt usage, up from 88 percent in 2012.
• Alcohol arrests have also risen from 100 in 2012, to 170 in 2016.
• Accordingly, the number of teen crashes dropped from 64 in 2012, to 18 in the past five years.

Interim Chief Brent Narges accepted the award and took the opportunity to acknowledge Sergeant Travis Bowman, for coordinating many of the police department’s traffic safety initiatives. He also recognized Patrol Officer Brett Dawn, who was this year’s recipient of the Officer of the Year award, and leads the agency in the number of DUI arrests.

“Their efforts and the efforts of our patrol division, as well as the support we get from City staff and the City Commission helps us do what we do,” said Narges.