| April 1,
2002 |
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| Traffic
Interdiction Unit Wins National Award |
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| Six counties, including Burke, were nationally
recognized on March 27th by the National Sheriff's Association as recipients of
the "J.Stannard Baker Award" for traffic safety. The announcement was made
during a press conference at the Catawba County Justice Center. |
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| Specifically honored was Master Deputy William
T. Belvin of Rowan County, who is the project director of the Sheriffs'
Multi-Agency Traffic Interdiction Unit, which began operation in October, 2000
via a grant from the N.C. Governor's Highway Safety Program. Belvin was
instrumental in writing the grant, according to Catawba County Sheriff David
Huffman. |
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| In addition to Huffman, the multi-jurisdictional
unit is comprised of five other sheriffs, including John T. McDevitt, Burke;
Allen Whitaker, Davie; Phil Redmond, Iredell; Jackie Turner, McDowell; and
George Wilhelm, Rowan. |
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| The traffic unit combines the efforts of six
sheriffs crossing political lines to improve highway safety along the heavily
traveled I-40, I-85, and I-77 corridors, Huffman said. |
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| Huffman presented the media with a list of
impressive traffic safety improvements during the first year of participation.
Overall, the counties experienced a twenty-two percent reduction in traffic
fatalities. The decrease occurred despite two multi-fatality accidents which
occurred on roads not targeted for enforcement in Catawba County. |
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| In Belvin's home county of Rowan, there were
only six traffic fatalities as of July 2001, compared to sixteen for the same
period in year 2000. |
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| During the first year of the grant, officers
worked 23,040 hours which led to 152 DWI arrests. 6,417 charges were issued for
traffic violations, including failure to wear seat belts and
speeding. |
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| "The figures which impressed me were the 524
drug charges which resulted from our efforts," said Sheriff John T. McDevitt of
Burke County. "Our six offices have crossed political boundaries to save lives
and take many illicit drugs off of the streets. Our counties work closely
together, and Deputy Belvin certainly deserves much of the credit." |
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| A formal presentation of the award to Belvin
will take place at the National Sheriffs' Association Annual Conference, which
will be held in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
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