With an estimated 35,000 vehicles passing through the village daily, no wonder the Liverpool Police Department spends so much time and effort monitoring the traffic.
Just last month, for instance, in January 2010 LPD officers issued an average of more than four citations daily for violations of the state’s vehicle and traffic laws. The village comprises only one square mile.
For its well-known and continuing vigilance regarding vehicle traffic, the LPD and two of its officers recently received awards from the Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board.
On behalf of the department, Chief Bill Becker accepted the AAA Community Traffic Safety Gold Award for 2009.
That award honors communities that statistically demonstrate a measurable effectiveness in addressing traffic safety issues, Becker said. This year marks the eighth consecutive Gold Award received by the LPD since 2001.
Officer Kenneth Hatter III, of Cicero, received the John H. Mulroy Traffic Safety Government Service Award for Law Enforcement Agency Top Performer in Impaired Driver.
Hatter made 112 DWI arrests here in 2009, his first full year with the LPD.
“I’m honored to be a part of the effort of keeping the streets of Liverpool safe,” Hatter said.
Officer Jeff Passino, also a Cicero resident, received the Law Enforcement Agency Top Performer’s Overall Performance Award for Large Police Agencies for his overall traffic enforcement while working for both the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and the Liverpool Police Department.
Passino has worked for the sheriff’s department for more than nine years and with the LPD for four years.
“It’s an honor to receive this award and be recognized by the Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board,” Passino said.
Both Hatter and Passino said they wanted to thank the Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board for recognizing their achievements and promoting public safety at a high standard in the communities they serve.
The officers were also pleased to be a part of the LPD’s AAA Community Traffic Safety Gold Award for 2009.
Pictured, Liverpool Police officers Kenneth Hatter III, 30, left, and Jeff Passino, 32, each won awards from the Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board. PHOTO BY FARAH JADRAN PIKE
Reporting also contributed by Farah Jadran Pike, editor of the Star-Review.
