From the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office:
Over the past month, three Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office deputies were recipients of awards for their dedication to impaired driving enforcement. The Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office takes the role of keeping the roadways of Muscatine County safe very serious and we are pleased with the work our staff does to ensure that safety.
On June 6, 2024, Detective Adam Bell was the recipient of the Outstanding Performance Award at the annual Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) conference for his work as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE). During the 2023 calendar year, in which Detective Bell became certified as a DRE in May of 2023, he led the State of Iowa by conducting 64 enforcement drug influence evaluations.
Each year in Iowa, approximately 100 people die in alcohol or drug-related crashes. The Iowa DRE program is an essential tool in combating drugged driving and making Iowa’s roadways safer.
Detective Bell is very dedicated to this program, as the evaluations are done in addition to his daily assignment as a detective with the Criminal Investigations Division, and generally are nighttime or early morning call outs. Detective Bell says, “It is the commitment of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, Muscatine Police Department, and Wilton Police Department to reducing impaired driving that makes this possible”.
On June 27, 2024, at the Iowa Cubs baseball game in Des Moines, Iowa, Corporal Jake Walker and Deputy Damien Maynard were recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), who awarded them with the MADD Hero Award. MADD Iowa Program Specialist Shannon Booth stated, “I’m so proud to be able to recognize our MADD Hero Award winners. Partnering with the Iowa Cubs was a great way to show the law enforcement community how much we appreciate their dedication to saving lives. Impaired driving crashes claim the lives of thousands every year nationally.”
Corporal Walker, who finished 2023 with 30 operating while intoxicated (OWI) arrests says, “I take great pride in my duty to serve and protect the community I live in. I strive for professionalism and hold my job expectations with the highest regard on each call for service I am faced with. I feel that OWI enforcement is imperative to the safety of our roadways and the citizens that travel them daily. It’s my hope that the citizens in our county feel safer traveling our roadways knowing that we are diligently searching for impaired drivers and taking the appropriate actions when they are encountered on the highway. It is a great honor to have MADD recognize our efforts in enforcing impaired driving.”
Deputy Maynard, who finished 2023 with 55 OWI arrests stated, “I have always been passionate about OWI enforcement and think it is critical in keeping the community safe. I am honored to receive an award from MADD.”
MADD Iowa honored 37 officers from across the state with pins and certificates. These officers were nominated by others in their department for their efforts in saving lives through traffic enforcement and public education.
I couldn’t be prouder of not only these deputies but the entire staff that makes up the ranks of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office. They show up, day in and day out, giving 110% to keep the citizens of this county safe and secure.
It’s appropriate that we release this statement on our nations Independence Day, a day of travel and celebration. With that in mind, please be safe in your travels, be aware of your surroundings, watch your speed, and if need be, please have a designated driver. I would rather have a quiet boring night than have to have our staff make notification that a loved one has passed.
Thank you and have a safe holiday,
Sheriff Quinn Riess
