MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong is proud to announce the BCSO received a statewide award presented by the Tennessee Highway Safety Office for our 2019 Law Enforcement Challenge submission.
The BCSO placed third overall in the category of Tennessee law enforcement agencies with between 101 – 200 sworn officers. The judging was based on 2019 traffic safety initiatives and statistics that include agency strength in the areas of policies and guidelines on seatbelt usage, speed enforcement, and impaired driving; training of officers; public information and education in the areas of occupant protection, child safety seat initiatives, public awareness related to distracted driving, and other traffic initiatives; enforcement activity, and the effectiveness of efforts in all of the above areas.
The BCSO works closely throughout the year with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, in conjunction with the National Highway Transportation Administration, by way of educational resources and grant funding to place additional deputies on our roadways during nights and on weekends to be on the look-out for drunk drivers. The BCSO also receives a grant to place more deputies on the area of U.S. Highway 129 known as the “Dragon” throughout the year to temper speeding and reckless driving on this dangerous 11.2 mile stretch of highway that includes 318 curves.
The BCSO participates in the Law Enforcement Challenge every year beginning in 2003, and we have consistently received state and national recognition and awards in the area of traffic safety.
This year, the first place award in the category of 101 – 200 officers went to Bartlett Police Department, followed by second place winner Sumner County Sheriff’s Office. The other local winner in the Law Enforcement Challenge was Maryville Police Department, who placed second in the category of agencies with between 46 – 75 sworn officers.
The awards were presented today at an outdoor informal meeting at the Sheriff’s Office Training Facility.
Pictured from L to R: Sgt. Rodney Postel, Blount County Sheriff’s Office; Derrick Woods, East Tennessee Law Enforcement Liaison, Tennessee Highway Safety Office; Chief Deputy Jeff French, Blount County Sheriff’s Office; Steve Dillard, Senior Law Enforcement Liaison, Tennessee Highway Safety Office.