At its annual awards luncheon on Thursday, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) recognized five Richmond police officers “for their exceptional efforts in DUI prevention and enforcement” in 2021.
Richmond police officers Alyssa Alvarado, Kevin Lemus, Jason Mallari, Khoa Nguyen and Johnathan Platzner were lauded for their contributions to the crackdown on driving under the influence.
The efforts of Alvarado, a police officer since 2017, resulted in the arrests of 50 impaired drivers last year. MADD is recognizing her for a third consecutive year.
Officer Lemus’ efforts resulted in 42 DUI arrests in 2021, and this is also his third straight year of MADD recognition. He joined the RPD in 2018.
Officer Mallari received MADD’s “Outstanding Rookie” award for going “above and beyond the call of duty to reduce alcohol-related death and injury.” His efforts last year led to the removal of 12 impaired drivers from Richmond’s streets, the RPD said.
Officer Nguyen has now been recognized six times for his DUI enforcement work. Last year, his efforts resulted in 25 DUI arrests.
“We are extremely proud of our officers’ ongoing commitment to our community, by ensuring that Richmond remains a safe place to live, work, and visit,” the RPD said.
