Greater Washington Law Enforcement Lauded For Fight Against Drunk Driving
24th-ANNUAL EVENT HONORS LOCAL POLICE IN FIGHT AGAINST DUI
Washington, DC, December 10 – Seventeen (17) Washington-metropolitan area police officers were cited today for their “outstanding commitment in the fight against drunk driving in Greater Washington” and presented with the area’s 24th-annual “Law Enforcement Awards of Excellence for Impaired Driving Prevention.”
Bestowed this morning at a regional ceremony held in McLean, Virginia, the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) presented its 2021 Law Enforcement Awards to:
Officer Jordan Hunneyman City of Alexandria Police Department
Officer Alexander Rodriguez Arlington County Police Department
Officer Sean Poveda Arlington County Police Department
PFC Bryce A. Cooper City of Falls Church Police Department
PFC Zachary Davis City of Fairfax Police Department
MPO Steve Faett Fairfax County Police Department
Corporal Steven Mather Town of Herndon Police Department
Deputy Tyler Giles Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
Trooper Logan Speak Maryland State Police
District Officer Margodane Vanriel Metropolitan Police Department (DC)
Corporal Stephen Mann Metropolitan Wash. Airports Authority Police
Sergeant Patrick Kepp Montgomery County Department of Police
Sergeant Wilber Alvarez Prince George’s County Police Department
Officer William J. Ward Prince William County Police Department
Officer Ryan Corrigan United States Capitol Police
Officer Benjamin R. Tomasiello United States Park Police
Trooper Carlos Alejo Virginia Department of State Police
The annual awards, presented at a ceremony this morning at Maggiano’s Little Italy in the Tysons Galleria, were bestowed by WRAP in memory of Metropolitan Police Department’s Motor Patrol Officer Anthony W. Simms. Officer Simms, as a result of injuries sustained while on duty, lost his life to an impaired driver during Memorial Day weekend in 1996. WRAP’s 2021 Law Enforcement Awards were presented by Officer Simms’ widow, Lieutenant Pamela Simms, also formerly with the Metropolitan Police Department, along with NBC Washington’s Traffic Reporter Melissa Mollet. Today’s event speakers included Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Deputy Chief J.L. Wasem. (MWAA Police co-hosted this morning’s event with WRAP.)
“This year’s awardees represent the front lines in Greater Washington’s continuing fight against drunk driving,” said Kurt Erickson, WRAP’s President. “Their collective effort to annually arrest and remove over 14,000 drunk drivers from Washington-metropolitan area roadways has undoubtedly saved lives.”
In addition to receiving the Law Enforcement Awards, each of the 2021 WRAP honorees also received a pair of complementary Washington Nationals tickets (courtesy of the Washington Nationals) and a $ 25 gift card to Glory Days Grill (courtesy of Glory Days Grill).
WRAP also announced Amazon as an official sponsor of SoberRide®., the nonprofit’s free safe ride service to prevent drunk driving. The new 2022 community partnership will also support other WRAP public safety initiatives in the new year.
“We’re glad to support SoberRide and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s work to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking in our area,” said Chris Hennigh, Vice Chairman of the WRAP Board and Emergency Services Manager at Amazon. “In all of the communities we operate in, we strive not only to be a good employer but also a good neighbor. As we continue to grow in the region, we are thankful for WRAP’s commitment to keep our community safe.”
Sponsors of WRAP’s 2021 Law Enforcement Awards & Holiday Campaign Kick-Off included The Beer Institute, Breakthru Beverage Washington, D.C., Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, GEICO, George Washington University Hospital, Glory Days Grill, Interstate Moving | Relocation | Logistics and Lyft.
Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is a coalition of diverse interests using effective education, innovative programs and targeted advocacy to end alcohol-impaired driving and underage drinking in the Washington, DC metro area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with historically keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths lower than the national average. WRAP, however, may best be known to area residents via the organization’s popular free safe ride service for would-be drunk drivers, SoberRide®.
Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is a coalition of diverse interests using effective education, innovative programs and targeted advocacy to end alcohol-impaired driving and underage drinking in the Washington, DC metro area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with historically keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths lower than the national average. WRAP, however, may best be known to area residents via the organization’s popular free safe ride service for would-be drunk drivers, SoberRide®.
For more information, visit WRAP’s web site at www.wrap.org.
(WRAP’s holiday free safe ride service for would-be drunk drivers, SoberRide®, will operate nightly from 10:00 pm until 4:00 am between December 17, 2021 and January 1, 2022. During these evening hours, Washington-metropolitan area residents ages 21 and older celebrating with alcohol may download the Lyft app to their phones and enter the applicable code in the app’s ‘Promo’ section. During this campaign, there will be three different single use promo codes issued. Each code is valid for up to $15 off one ride taken home in Lyft’s Washington, D.C. coverage area. WRAP’s Holiday SoberRide promo codes will be posted at 9:00 pm on December 17, December 24 and December 31 on www.SoberRide.com. Limited quantities available. See www.SoberRide.com for more details.)