Lathrop Police Services has done it again by winning outstanding operational  awards for nine out of the past 11 years when they were awarded first and second place honors in the California Law Enforcement Challenge.

Monday night’s presentations included a second place award and a special award in the category of impaired driving.

The challenge has pitted the Lathrop deputies against the officers in other agencies with 25 or fewer officers all working to make a difference in their communities.

The two elaborate glass trophies were presented to San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore and Lathrop Chief Danelle Hohe immediately prior to the recent council meeting by CHP assistant Chief Jonni Fenner and Captain Barry Koenig from Sacramento.  Lathrop Police Services is a municipal contract department operating under the county Sheriff’s Office.

Lathrop Chief Danelle Hohe noted that the second place award was for being an outstanding municipal law enforcement agency and the second special award for combatting distracted and impaired driving including alcohol and cell phone use on the road among a longer list of driving dangers.  

“The public thinks we only write tickets where we really give out more warnings,” she said.  

The Lathrop department does much in the line of proactive and educational efforts, designed to teach the public when they don’t realize what they are doing is unsafe, she added.  She said her officers also use fatal vision goggles that are used to demonstrate to both students and adults the results of drinking and driving.

The two prestigious awards were sponsored by the California Highway Patrol in a partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the California Office of Traffic Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the California Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control.