MADD Commemorate 20 Years in St. Mary Parish at Top Cop Ceremony
For the 20th year, the St. Mary Parish chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored law enforcement officers for their work in keeping the roads and highways of St. Mary Parish safe.
MADD St. Mary Chapter Board Members
MADD board member Jacki Ackel said the group found their direction those 2 decades ago with the help of leaders from within the criminal justice system. St. Mary MADD created a Victim Impact Panel, a program to help drunk and drugged driving offenders recognize and internalize the lasting and long-term effects of substance-impaired driving.
Guest speaker, former St. Mary Parish Sheriff David Naquin, spoke about the impact MADD has had on St. Mary Parish over the years. He recounted the story of the boy saving stranded starfish by throwing them one by one back into the ocean. When the boy was told there was no way he could save them all he replies, “It made a difference for that one.”
Guest Speaker, Former St. Mary Parish Sheriff David Naquin
Since its inception in St. Mary Parish, MADD has tracked drunk and drugged driving arrests. St. Mary Parish law enforcement agencies have made a total of 4,568 DWI arrests in those 20 years. 187 of those were made over the last year. That number is up by 25 from the previous year.
Helping to make a difference for the parish from the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office are Lieutenant Mathew Moore and Sgt Dustin Kennedy who were presented with the TOP COP award for the Sheriff’s Office. Over the last year, Moore and Kennedy each made 6 arrests on the charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Overall, Sheriff’s Office deputies took a total of 56 suspected drunk drivers off the road. 50 were 1st offenses and 6 were arrested for 2nd offense drunk driving.
Board Member Scott Berry presents Lieutenant Mathew Moore with the Top Cop Award
Board Member Scott Berry presents Sergeant Dustin Kennedy with the Top Cop Award
Chief Deputy Scott Anslum, Parish President David Hannagriff, and Major John Kahl, Jr. join Lt Moore and Sgt Kennedy
St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Scott Anslum was also recognized for his leadership contributions and support of deputies in their work to keep impaired drivers off the roads.
Chief Deputy Scott Anslum
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office joined Louisiana State Police, Chitimacha Tribal Police Department, Morgan City, Patterson, Berwick, and Franklin Police Departments at the Lamp Post in Franklin for the MADD Top Cop ceremony held Thursday evening, November 30, 2017.
Traci Landry
Detective Lieutenant
St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office
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