By Kathy Chouteau
Three of Richmond Police Department’s (RPD) finest have been honored with awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an organization dedicated to ending drunk driving and other related initiatives. The honors were awarded for the officers’ efforts during the timeframe spanning from July 2019 through July 2020, according to Sergeant Donovan Decious of the RPD’s Traffic/Special Events Unit.
RPD officers Khoa Nguyen, Alyssa Alvarado and Kevin Lemus were among those honored by MADD.
Officer Nguyen, a traffic cop whose primary function is to enforce DUI laws throughout the city, received MADD’s Bay Area Top Cop Award.
“Over the last year he made 113 DUI arrests [in Richmond] and led the Bay Area in DUI arrests,” said Sgt. Decious about Officer Nguyen, who added that “he’s out there looking and trying to be as proactive as you can get.”
As part of his ongoing efforts, Officer Nguyen frequently circulates the Cutting Blvd. corridor from Harbour Way to 23rd St., down 23 St. and up and down Barrett Ave.—in addition to visiting high traffic collision areas around Richmond.
Also receiving special honors from MADD were Officer Alvarado, who received the Outstanding Service Award, and Officer Lemus, who received the Outstanding Rookie Award.
News of the officers’ MADD awards comes as the RPD is in receipt of a $215,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to help the department institute DUI checkpoints and address other traffic related problems plaguing Richmond’s streets. Read the Standard’s report here.
To learn more about MADD, click here.
