|
County's top DUI enforcers
honored
By
Ken Kosky | Posted: Friday, December 11,
2009 12:00 am
VALPARAISO | Portage police Officer
Michael Candiano arrested 67 people on
drunken driving charges this year, making
him Porter County's top DUI enforcer for the
fourth straight year.
Candiano said officers are so busy these
days answering an increasing number of
calls, so he views enforcing the drunken
driving laws as a chance to be proactive
instead of reactive.
"This is a chance to stop (trouble) before
it happens," Candiano said.
Candiano and the other leaders in drunken
driving enforcement were honored at a
banquet Thursday in Valparaiso.
Also honored for leading their departments
in DUI arrests were Brian Gill, who made 46
arrests for Porter County; Anthony Dandurand,
40 arrests for Hebron; Glen Fifield, 27
arrests for Indiana State Police; Kayvon
Karimi, 24 arrests for Burns Harbor;
Nicholas Brown, 22 arrests for Chesterton;
Peter DeYoung, 20 arrests for Valparaiso;
Martin Gonzalez, 15 arrests for Porter
police; and Dave Johnsten, six arrests for
Kouts.
Candiano said people occasionally approach
him and -- knowing he's the county's top DUI
enforcer -- tell stories about family
members or friends affected by drunken
driving.
"It brings it to more of a personal
level," Candiano said.
Gill said his father was seriously injured
and missed work for a year after being hit
by a drunken driver.
"I'm a bit more motivated to get drunken
drivers off the street," Gill said.
Dandurand said knowing about the lives
claimed by drunken driving gives him
motivation.
"I like to think I helped somebody
somewhere," Dandurand said.
Countywide, officers made 926 drunken
driving arrests during 2009, 222 fewer than
the previous year.
Porter County Drunk Driving Task Force
chairman Michael Grennes, whose organization
hosted Thursday's awards banquet, believes
the enforcement is putting a dent in the
drunken driving problem.
 |
