Bedford Police Department Wins Award

For the second consecutive year, Bedford Police have won the New York Law Enforcement Challenge.

"The Law Enforcement Challenge Program annually recognizes outstanding performance by New York's law enforcement community and other partners in the area of traffic safety," the department said in a recent press release.

On behalf of the department, Chief William Hayes and Lt. Melvin Padilla received the award April 18 at a ceremony in Rochester.

"“I’m very proud of all of our officers that are working hard to support our traffic safety initiatives," Hayes said in a statement. "Their efforts translate into saved lives and improved quality of life in our community."

Officials pointed to a "wide-range" of education, enforcement, recognition and traffic safety initiatives—including the "Your Bars or Ours, Make the Right Choice, Don't Drink and Drive" campaign that started in 2011—in describing the department's policing philosophy.

"This local campaign helped maintain a successful crackdown of DWI offenses and has fostered an astounding 89-percent increase in DWI arrests for the department over the past two years," the release states. "Since 2010, the department has also reduced speed-related crashes by 63 percent."

Sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Sheriffs' Association and the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, the challenge is not the only recognition Bedford's received this year. Officers Jonathan Evans and Richard O’Connell received "Top Cop" recognition last month for drunken driving enforcement.