Riverhead police officer Timothy Murphy was honored — yet again — for making the most DWI arrests on the Riverhead police force in 2014. He was one of 22 “top cops” in Suffolk County.
Murphy was among a group of 22 officers honored Tuesday by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, along with Legislators Sarah Anker, Kate Browning, Kara Hahn, SCPD Chief James Burke and Assistant Deputy County Executive Tim Sin at the Suffolk County Police Academy.
Deputy Sheriff Thomas Young was named “top cop” for DWI arrests in the county
award after making 143 arrests last year — a distinction Murphy has earned numerous times, including in 2014 and 2013.
Suffolk County police agencies made over 3,800 arrests in 2014 and more than 14,000 DWI arrests in the past three years, according to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.
“These officers have saved hundreds of lives by making DWI a priority and arresting those individuals who make the irresponsible decision to drink and drive,” Bellone said.
“Suffolk County will not tolerate drunk driving on our roadways. We remain committed to arresting anyone who chooses to drink and then get behind the wheel of a car, endangering the lives of others,” he said.
In 2014, 45 people were killed in Suffolk County by drunk drivers. However, since 2012, Suffolk County has experienced a 25 percent decline in arrests and a 25 percent decline in fatalities.
The Suffolk County STOP-DWI program — Special Traffic Options Program for Driving While Intoxicated — is a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries in New York State.
In Suffolk County, the program is supported 100 percent by fines collected from those convicted of drug or alcohol related charges.
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