Crossville PD Receives Two Awards For Enforcement And Awareness

The Crossville Police Department has been recognized by the Tennessee Highway Safety Office with two awards for enforcement and education.

Captain Brian Tilley said the department is proud to be honored for impaired driving awareness and seat belt safety. Tilley said enforcement on the road is important, but so is spreading the message of safety.

“We reach out to local organizations, we also provide car seats here at the police department,” Tilley said. “We go to community health fairs and hand out materials at our local fairs.”

The Impaired Driving Awareness Award and Seat belts Are For Everyone Campaign are statewide. They recognize the work Crossville police did in 2019.

Tilley said the department saw a 50 percent increase in seat belt citations from the previous year.

“We will actually do seat belt saturation. Where we have officers go out and patrol during the Click It or Ticket campaign,” Tilley said. “They are observing vehicles as they travel along the highway, looking for unbuckled occupants. Trying to educate those drivers to the importance of wearing safety belts.”

DUI arrests increased by 48% in 2019. Crossville Police made 72 DUI arrests in 2017 and 77 arrests in 2018. However, that number rose to 114 in 2019 when they were awarded.