TENNESSEE – Today, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) announced award recipients from its 36th Annual Tennessee Lifesavers Conference and 20th Annual Law Enforcement Challenge held Aug. 14 – 16, 2024. Agencies and individuals were recognized for excelling in child passenger safety, drug recognition, teen driver safety, traffic enforcement, and more. Every year, the THSO hosts this event to empower highway safety professionals and reward extraordinary efforts made to reduce traffic fatalities statewide. Photos are accessible at www.tnlifesaverschallenge.com.
“The THSO is honored to recognize our local heroes going above and beyond the call of duty,” said THSO Director Buddy Lewis. “Whether you are a first responder, community advocate, prosecutor, or law enforcement officer – you play an important role in traffic safety and make a difference in saving lives every day. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our traffic safety partners as we continue striving to zero deaths on Tennessee roads.”
During the pre-conference events on Wednesday, Aug. 14, the THSO recognized some of Tennessee’s best child passenger safety technicians and drug recognition experts for excelling in their areas of expertise.
Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Award Winners
- Diamond of the Year – Emily Tucker, Knoxville Police Department and Safety City
- Fitting Station of the Year – Collierville Police Department
- Instructor of the Year – Kristi Davis, Baptist Memorial Hospital
- Technician of the Year – Joe LeCates, Franklin Police Department
- Dr. Robert Sander’s Leadership and Service Award – Lindsay Bass, Children’s Hospital at Erlanger
Drug Recognition Expert Service Award Winners
- Sergeant Scott Lewis (retired), Tennessee Highway Patrol – District 2 (Chattanooga)
- Sergeant Jessie Loy, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department
- Lieutenant Dwayne Stanford, Tennessee Highway Patrol – District 8 (Jackson)
- Captain Jay Phelps, New Johnsonville Police Department
- Trooper Joseph Olivas, Tennessee Highway Patrol – District 3 (Nashville)
- Sergeant Brian K. Lawson, Tennessee Highway Patrol – District 5 (Fall Branch)
- Lieutenant Eric Miller, Tennessee Highway Patrol – District 1 (Knoxville)
- Deputy Jon Schnereger, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
- Lieutenant Mark Mara, McMinnville Police Department
- Trooper Kenneth White, Tennessee Highway Patrol – District 2 (Chattanooga)
- Tony Burnett (retired), Tennessee Highway Safety Office
Drug Recognition Expert Special Award for 500+ Evaluations
- Lieutenant Mark Mara, McMinnville Police Department
Drug Recognition Expert Instructor of the Year
- Corporal Will Travis, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
The THSO also recognized 18 high schools for earning gold traffic safety awards through the THSO’s Reduce TN Crashes program, a peer-to-peer initiative empowering students to increase teen driver safety education in their local communities.
Reduce TN Crashes Gold Award Winners
- Walker Valley High School – 49,700 points
- Stone Memorial High School – 49,100 points
- Sevier County High School – 37,600 points
- Cumberland County High School – 30,300 points
- Hampton High School – 19,500 points
- Science Hill High School – 16,400 points
- Dyer County High School – 14,700 points
- Daniel Boone High School – 11,300 points
- Clay County High School – 8,300 points
- Hancock County Middle/High School – 6,900 points
- Dickson County High School – 6,600 points
- David Crockett High School – 5,400 points
- Gibson County High School – 4,100 points
- Bartlett High School – 3,500 points
- Sycamore High School – 3,400 points
- Obion County Central High School – 3,400 points
- South Gibson County High School – 3,200 points
- Cherokee High School – 3,000 points
On Thursday, Aug. 15, THSO Director Buddy Lewis presented Director’s Awards to individuals nominated for extraordinary efforts in supporting traffic safety. Winners were recognized for achievements in traffic safety education, advocacy, and/or enforcement to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities through THSO grant-funded programs. Descriptions about each Director’s Awards winner are available at www.tnlifesaverschallenge.com.
Director’s Awards
- Lieutenant Vincent Lewis (retired), Clarksville Police Department
- Master Patrol Officer Shepard S. Taylor, Collierville Police Department
- Kent D. Starwalt – Executive Vice President, Tennessee Road Builders Association
- Lieutenant Randy Brown (retired), Cookeville Police Department
- Trooper Calvin Naipo, Tennessee Highway Patrol – District 2 (Chattanooga)
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Commissioner David W. Purkey (retired), Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security
On Friday, Aug. 16, the THSO recognized the achievements of law enforcement agencies statewide during the 20th Annual Law Enforcement Challenge. This year, 62 Law Enforcement Challenge applications were submitted: 13 from the West region, 18 from Middle region, 15 from East region, and 16 from the Cumberland region. Award winners were determined based on the highest accumulation of points in each category. Points were accumulated based on THSO-grant funded activities to increase traffic safety in local communities, with the exception of the Best-Looking Cruiser Award which was voter-based and the Beyond the Traffic Stop Award which was nominated. Asterisks (*) indicate a tie.
20th Annual Law Enforcement Challenge Winners
1 – 10 Officers Category
- First Place: Benton Police Department
- Second Place: Chapel Hill Police Department
- Third Place: Jamestown Police Department
11 – 25 Officers Category
- First place: Red Bank Police Department
- Second place: Fairfield Glade Police Department
- Third place: Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office
26 – 45 Officers Category
- First place: McMinnville Police Department
- Second place: Union City Police Department
- Third place: Obion County Sheriff’s Office
46 – 75 Officers Category
- First place: Dickson Police Department
- Second place: Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office *
- Second place: Greene County Sheriff’s Office *
- Third place: Crossville Police Department
76 – 100 Officers Category
- First place: Gallatin Police Department
- Second place: Columbia Police Department
- Third place: Bristol Police Department
101 – 200 Officers Category
- First place: Bartlett Police Department *
- First place: Franklin Police Department *
- Second place: Collierville Police Department
- Third place: Kingsport Police Department
201 – 500 Officers Category
- First place: Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
- Second place: Murfreesboro Police Department
- Third place: Williamson County Sheriff’s Office
501 or More Officers Category
- First place: Shelby County Sheriff’s Office
- Second place: Memphis Police Department
Best-Looking Cruiser Award
- Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
Beyond the Traffic Stop Award
· Deputy Cody Hutchinson, Tipton County Sheriff’s Office
· Deputy Jimmy Joyner, Tipton County Sheriff’s Office
Highest-Scoring Police Departments
- Bartlett Police Department *
- Benton Police Department *
- Franklin Police Department *
Highest-Scoring Sheriff’s Office
- Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
Regional Overall Award Winners
- West Tennessee Region: Bartlett Police Department
- Middle Tennessee Region: Franklin Police Department
- Cumberland Tennessee Region: Benton Police Department
- East Tennessee Region: Kingsport Police Department
Tennessee Highway Patrol Districts Category
- First place: District 6 – Cookeville
- Second place: District 4 – Memphis
- Third place: District 7 – Lawrenceburg
University Police Category
- First place: Walters State Community College Police Department
To learn more about THSO or the conference, please visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.