The DeKalb County Police STAR Team's educational and enforcement efforts against impaired drivers received national attention when the we received the Law enforcement Award from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (formerly the Presidential Commission Against Drunk Driving). On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1997, NCADD had a reception for all of the award winners at the Army and Navy Club in Washington D.C. I enjoyed meeting all of the award winners, and very quickly realized how many different individuals and groups have worked hard to try to eradicate impaired drivers from our society. For a complete list of the NCADD Award winners, see their web page at http://www.ncadd.com/. I also got to meet the fine folks from NCADD, such as Melissa Probst and Kristan Williams. The members of the STAR Team enjoyed the wonderful buffet luncheon. I don't think I have ever seen just a wonderful spread of food and drink. All of the award winners seemed to enjoy the company and the refreshments.
The next day was the conference called The Millennial Generation: Reaching the New Youth of Today and Tomorrow. There were several interesting speakers at the conference. During the conference luncheon the STAR Team was presented the award. Afterwards, Elizabeth Dole gave a very humorous and motivating speech.
This was my first trip to our Nation's Capital. I got to see some of the historic memorials. My favorite was the National Law Enforcement Memorial. All police officers should visit this memorial at least once in their lifetime. It was a moving experience to see the names and respect paid to our fallen officers.
The STAR Team would like to thank the following companies for their financial aid in sending us to Washington D.C. They are:
We sincerely appreciate your support!
Sgt. J. R. Gardner
DeKalb Police STAR Team
Decatur, Georgia
Web Posted 1/21/98