Sheriff’s Office deputies made 361 DUI arrests om 2024, reflecting the agency’s strong, proactive approach to impaired driving enforcement, Burritt said.

 

The Sheriff’s Office actively participated in driving enforcement initiatives, taking part in four DUI checkpoints and multiple saturations.

 

Education and community events were vital components of their efforts. Deputies and SROs delivered critical impaired driving awareness messages to teen drivers.

 

“The impact of these efforts has been significant,” Burritt said. “Overall, the county saw a 10 percent annual decrease in impaired driving crashes and a 24 percent reduction in fatal impaired driving crashes.”

 

Rutherford County Sherif’s deputies are committed to public safety and combatting impaired driving, he said.

 

Watson received the 2024 Outstanding Drug Recognition Expert Award. Watson studied DUI laws early in his career and became Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement certified in 2018. He received the MAD silver enforcement pin in 2018 and 2019. He became a certified DRE in 2019 and a DRE instructor in 2021. Since becoming a DRE, Watson performed 50 evaluations, taught 18 Standardized Field Sobriety Testing classes, nine ARIDE classes and one DRE class. Watson continued his passion of keeping the Rutherford County roadways safe by teaching high school students about impaired driving, speaking on WGNS radio and teaching SFST and ARIDE classes.

 

Rutherford County judges deemed Watson an expert witness in a case when he testified for Murfreesboro Police Department.

 

Lt. Michael Rodgers received a Heart of MADD Award for helping coordinate the event and serving on the MADD Tennessee State Advisory Board.

 

Sgt. Zachary Williams, Cpl. Riley Dunmyer and former Deputy Tyler Marks earned Bronze Enforcement Pins for making between 25 and 49 DUI arrests last year.