Tyler County Sheriff Bob Kendle, Sgt. Dean Pratt and Cpl. Shannon Huffman recently received awards from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

The Tyler County Sheriff’s office recently received awards from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program for their involvement in the statewide efforts to curb impaired driving.

The TCSO participated in the federally funded DUI Patrol Grant administered by the State of West Virginia from Feb. 1 through June 30. During this period, deputies made a total of 522 stops which resulted in three DUI arrests, 10 misdemeanor arrests, two felony arrests and two drug arrests. They also issued 53 traffic citations and 344 warning citations.

For their efforts, the TCSO received an award for the most felony arrests in Region 4. Individual awards were given to Sgt. Dean Pratt and Cpl. Shannon Huffman for the most felony warrants and the most underage alcohol consumption citations issued in Region 4.

The DUI patrol covered all areas of Tyler County in an effort to combat and deter driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Deterrence programs are a high priority for Tyler County Sheriff Bob Kendle.

“I think increased patrols and other deterrence programs are extremely important. The very first night I was in a police uniform, I was side swiped by a drunk driver,” he commented. “I am reminded of how things can change in a split second. We try to aggressively combat impaired driving in Tyler County. I am very proud of Sgt. Pratt, Cpl. Huffman and the rest of the deputies for their hard work.”