Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey L. Bryant filled in Thursday night, September 2nd, for Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Marla G. Decker as the keynote speaker at the annual law enforcement awards dinner sponsored by Mothers’ Against Drunk Driving and the Chesapeake Bay and Southeastern Virginia ASAP organizations.
Secretary Decker asked Bryant to take her place so that she could attend to her responsibilities associated with the Governor’s declaration of an emergency based upon hurricane Earl.
The awards ceremony and dinner was one of the largest ever, with 180 in attendance. It was held at Founders Inn in Virginia Beach. Based on the excellence of their enforcement of the state’s drunk driving laws, 27 police officers, deputy sheriffs and state troopers were recognized and honored. From Virginia Beach, Officer Justin G. Trout and Master Police Officer James Baker were honored.
In his remarks, Bryant referred to the officers as “warriors and heroes” in line with MADD’s stated purpose of highlighting the efforts of law enforcement heroes. Bryant noted that each DUI arrest is potentially one or more lives saved from death or serious injury in our communities. The Virginia Beach Police Department arrests approximately 2,500 drunk drivers on an annual basis.
Bryant also noted that unlike some crimes, Driving Under the Influence is stoppable based on various technologies, including ignition interlocks. “When our nation and citizens decide to have the will and to spend the money to require devices on all vehicles that would prevent someone under the influence from driving, we can stop carnage on our streets”. He also pointed out that the number of DUI related deaths in the United States in the year 2008 (11,779) alone were more than double the total number of American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined over the several years we have had troops in those countries. “American citizens are killing each other on the highways at a far higher rate than the enemies of democracy are killing our soldiers. We can stop this. When will we stop this?” There is a drunk driving related fatality in America on average of every 40 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Virginia State Police Division V was honored for its initiation and participation locally in the MADD Help Eliminate Alcohol Related Tragedy (H.E.A.R.T.) program. The H.E.A.R.T. program provides a simulator that is taken to local high schools, military bases and community events. Participants drive through a course of rubber cones with impaired vision goggles on which helps demonstrate how driving is impaired by alcohol or drug use. The Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office and other private individuals and entities in the community were also honored and recognized for their donations in support of the H.E.A.R.T. program.
Virginia Beach Associate Commonwealth’s Attorney Betsy Orsini was given an award by MADD for her excellence in DUI prosecutions as was Patricia O’Boyle, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Norfolk.
Attorney Mike Goodove, Lieutenant John Gandy, Captain Anthony Zucaro, Officer Brandon Butler, Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant, Chief James Cervera, Sergeant Anthony Palmer
Attorney Mike Goodove, Captain Anthony Zucaro, Officer Justin Trout, Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant, Chief James Cervera
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