Officers from the UCF Police Department were recognized Thursday for their dedication to reducing the number of drunk and drugged drivers on Central Florida’s roads.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, hosted its 30th annual Law Enforcement & Prosecutors Recognition Ceremony this week.

Each year the ceremony honors the top DUI officers from local agencies, officers who work to prevent underage drinking, and other police, prosecutors and community partners who stand with MADD in the fight against impaired driving.

Awards were presented by Glynn Birch, past national president of MADD and the first father selected to lead the organization, and Bill DeMott, the father of UCF student Keri Anne DeMott, who was killed by a drunk driver a year ago this week.

Award-winners from UCFPD, which has made 34 DUI arrests in 2016 so far, include:

  • Officer Matheus Flores, Top DUI Officer for UCFPD
  • Officer Matthew Scott and his K-9 partner Justice, Drugged Driving Prevention
  • Officer Frank Imparato, MADD Drug Recognition Expert Award
  • Officer Ben Lewis, Prevention of Underage Drinking Award
  • Officer Christopher Holt and his K-9 partner Jogy, Special Recognition for their response to the Pulse nightclub shooting
  • Lieutenant James Mangan, Walk Like MADD Captain

    • Also  announced Thursday: Walk Like MADD, MADD Central Florida’s largest event of the year, will for the first time ever be held at UCF. The walk will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 2017, at Memory Mall, and a DUI saturation patrol will follow.