Protecting the public means officers have to protect the roadways from dangerous drivers, especially those driving under the influence.
Officers like Edwin Cardona-Ospina, a member of Union City Local 8, work hard to make sure drunk-driving-related deaths on the roads do not happen. His efforts recently caught the attention of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD.
The group recently awarded Officer Cardona-Espina with the MADD New Jersey Law Enforcement Recognition.
“DUIs are always a preventable crime,” Cardona-Ospina explained. “If we can educate people on the risk of driving while impaired, I think drivers would be more likely to be held accountable for their actions, and fewer would drive impaired.”
The award was created for officers who show outstanding success in keeping impaired drivers off the road. Cardona-Espina has not only demonstrated excellence when it comes to the number of arrests made, but he’s proven to be a leader within the department in reducing alcohol-related deaths and injuries on the roads.
But at the end of the day, he says none of this would be possible without the men and women of Local 8.
“This award means a lot to me because it shines a good light on my department,” he said. “I want people to see myself and my fellow officers doing great things in the community.”
