Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office was one of 14 agencies, plus the Minnesota State Patrol honored honored May 20 for helping reduce traffic fatalities on Minnesota roads.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS/OTS) presented its Commissioner’s Award to the Blue Earth County Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) Enforcement Grant coordinators for their outstanding performance in 2014.
The Blue Earth County TZD Enforcement grant includes 14 agencies:
• Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office
• Eagle Lake Police Department
• Janesville Police Department
• Lake Crystal Police Department
• Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office
• Le Sueur Police Department
• Madelia Police Department
• Madison Lake Police Department
• Mankato Department of Public Safety
• Mapleton Police Department
• Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office
• North Mankato Police Department
• St. Peter Police Department
• Tri-City Police Department (Amboy, Vernon Center, Good Thunder)
“I am extremely proud of this group’s dedication and commitment to traffic safety,” Sheriff Brad Peterson said. “It’s an honor to be recognized for an effort that truly is life-saving for Minnesotans, and we will continue our focus on making zero traffic deaths the only acceptable goal for our communities.”
Grant-funded agencies are nominated for the Commissioner’s Award based on several criteria, including:
• Continuous coordinated enforcement efforts throughout the year.
• Participation in community policing activities, such as mock car crashes, child passenger safety clinics, safety education in schools, etc.
• Work with Safe Roads Coalition in their region, if applicable.
About Minnesota TZD
Minnesota TZD is the state’s cornerstone traffic safety program. A primary vision of the TZD program is to create a safe driving culture in Minnesota in which motorists support a goal of zero road fatalities by practicing and promoting safe and smart driving behavior. TZD focuses on the application of four strategic areas to reduce crashes – education, enforcement, engineering and emergency trauma response.