Maryland Department of Transportation recently recognized three police officers from the Hyattsville Police Department at the 24th Annual Maryland Impaired Driving Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony.

The awards are part of a joint effort by the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program to recognize law enforcement officers for their work in eliminating impaired driving crashes, injuries and deaths. It honors law enforcement officers who go above and beyond in removing impaired drivers from Maryland’s roads.

This year’s Hyattsville honorees include Cpl. Kelly Hernandez, Cpl. Jermaine Browne and PFC Maynor Hernandez. To qualify, officers must meet or surpass specific DUI arrest benchmarks based on their agency size, the HPD information office says.

Cpl. K. Hernandez was recognized for the fifth year, Cpl. Browne for the second, and PFC M. Hernandez earned the honor in his first year. “Their efforts directly help save lives and make our community’s roads safer for everyone,” HPD says.

The award recipients include Corporal Jermaine Browne (left) and Corporal Kelly Hernandez (right). Not pictured is Private First-Class Maynor Hernandez, who was also given the award. Credit: Courtesy Hyattsville Police Department

“I am incredibly proud of our officers for receiving this prestigious award, recognizing their exceptional dedication to preventing impaired driving,” Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers says. “Their unwavering commitment to keeping our roads safe exemplifies the very best of our department’s values and the professionalism our community expects and deserves. This honor not only celebrates their hard work but also reaffirms our shared mission to protect every life on our streets and make our community a safer place for all.”

The state Highway Safety Office says that over the last five years in Maryland, there have been more than 30,850 crashes involving drivers impaired by drugs and/or alcohol. Those crashes resulted in 638 deaths and 13,714 injuries. In addition to high visibility impaired driving enforcement operations throughout the year, the Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office runs an educational campaign called “Be the SOBER Driver” and “Be the MAKE A PLAN Driver” to encourage everyone to make a plan for a sober ride home.