Bedford Police win New York Law Enforcement Challenge

Bedford Police Chief William Hayes announced that the department has been awarded first place in the New York Law Enforcement Challenge. T

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 application process required a self-assessment in which we identified our strengths as well as areas that need improvement," said Chief Hayes. "The outcome for the community is continuous improvement in keeping the public safe on our roadways.”

In early 2011, Chief Hayes assigned Sgt. Melvin Padilla as the department’s first Traffic Safety Coordinator.  Sgt. Padilla spearheaded the preparation of the Challenge application, and coordinated the department’s traffic enforcement efforts.

“Achieving this award was a department-wide effort. Every officer on patrol has contributed to our success by working diligently every day of the year,” said Hayes.

The competition is sponsored by the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Sheriffs' Association.  Chief Hayes was presented the award in Albany on April 19.

The New York Challenge is one of fifteen state programs hosted annually in the U.S. The competition focuses on efforts to enforce laws and to educate the public about occupant restraint, impaired driving and speeding. It also recognizes some of the state's best overall traffic safety programs.  Departments compete among other agencies in the same size category.

Participating agencies are asked to provide documentation on their agency’s efforts and effectiveness in areas of officer training, public information, and enforcement to reduce crashes and injuries.  The Bedford Police Department submitted a 72-page application detailing their 2011 traffic safety program.

The Bedford Police Department’s submission for the New York Law Enforcement Challenge will automatically be entered into the national competition; the results of which will be decided later this year.