Four of the six Richmond police officers recognized Monday by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) collectively took 174 impaired drivers off the city’s roads last year, according to the Richmond Police Department.
Honored during the 2021 MADD Recognition Awards were Officer Khoa Nguyen, Officer Alyssa Alvarado, Officer Kevin Lemus, Officer Karel Maracek, Officer Eric Smith Jr. and Officer Jonathan Platzner, according to the RPD.
MADD has recognized Officer Nguyen of the RPD Traffic Unit five times since 2015. Last year, he made 76 arrests for impaired driving, the RPD said.
Officer Alvarado, who joined RPD in 2017, has been recognized by MADD for a second consecutive year following 32 impaired driving arrests in 2020. Similarly, Officer Lemus, an RPD officer since 2018, was recognized for a second straight year after making 40 DUI arrests.
In 2020, Officer Marecek added 26 impaired driving arrests and has also led the RPD in recovering stolen vehicles over three consecutive years, the RPD said.
Getting the “Outstanding Rookie” award was Officer Smith Jr., who went “above and beyond the call of duty to reduce alcohol-related death and injury” within his first year of service, according to MADD.
Officer Platzner rounds out the awardees by receiving an “Outstanding Partnership award recognizing those going “above and beyond in the areas of education, prevention, policy or enforcement…making an impact in reducing alcohol-related death and injury,” according to the RPD.
“We are extremely proud of our officers’ efforts in making Richmond a safer place to live, work, and visit,” the RPD said.
