Police Take Home Two Traffic Safety Awards

Local police have placed strong emphasis on traffic enforcement and seatbelt safety in the past few years and the efforts have paid off, leading to a reduction in accidents in town and more recently leading to recognition for the department.

Late last week, the received two awards from the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Connecticut Chiefs of Police Association for their efforts in providing comprehensive traffic enforcement in 2010.

“We are happy to be recognized, but we aren’t doing these things because we are looking for an award,” said Sgt. Lowell DePalma. “The focus has been public safety and we’d be doing the same programs whether we win them or not.”

The first award, a first place trophy in the 2010 Law Enforcement Challenge, recognized efforts of the department in areas including policies, training for officers, public information and education, enforcement activity and effectiveness of traffic enforcement efforts, according to a press release from the state Department of Transportation.

DePalma said the use of the Facebook page in order to better inform the public was one of the main reasons the department was recognized, but programs including the child passenger safety initiative in which the department will check and help properly install child seats was also instrumental in earning the recognition.

The department also shared first place recognition for a second award, the Child Passenger Safety Program award, with the South Windsor Police Department.

The award recognized efforts made by officers in town to do preventive checks to make sure that all passengers, even those young children using car seats or booster seats, are safe.

Officer Thomas Gallo, one of four certified in child seat safety, held several programs in 2010 and 2011 to give local residents a chance to have the seats checked and installed properly, free of charge. As a certified instructor, he also used training opportunities to help other departments in the state enhance their local programs.

“It’s an alarming statistic, but four out of every five child booster seats are improperly installed,” Gallo said earlier this year. “Our goal is to make sure the numbers are far better here in Southington and our kids are safe.”

DePalma also credit Police Chief Jack Daly, saying he has made the programs a priority in Southington at the request of local residents.

For more information on child seat safety including a video, .