Protecting people on Minnesota’s roadways is no small feat, and on Wednesday, June 5 the Elk River Police Department, was honored with the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) Commissioner’s Award from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Elk River Police and its partnering agencies (Becker Police Department, Big Lake Police Department, and the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office) executed continuous, coordinated high-visibility enforcement campaigns to curb issues linked to motor vehicle-related deaths including: distracted driving, impaired driving, texting, pedestrian crosswalk enforcement, and more. It is because of municipal, county, and state partnerships like this that programs like TZD can be implemented to help guide us toward more lives saved on our roads every single day.
Picured from left to right: Colonal Matt Langer, ERPD Captain Darren McKernan, Michael Hanson (Director, Office of Traffic Safety), Officer Dale Olsmcheid, Chief Ron Nierenhausen, Sergeant Dave Windels, Mayor John Dietz, Captain Bob Kluntz, Commissioiner of Public Safety John Harrington, Officer David Williams, Officer Mark Edlund, Officer Evan Patullo, and Officer Joe Firkus.