[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 177 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING THE WASHINGTON REGIONAL ALCOHOL PROGRAM AND THE KICKOFF OF 
                               SOBERRIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Washington 
Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and to congratulate the recipients of 
the Law Enforcement Awards for Excellence.
  Founded in 1982, WRAP is an award-winning, public-private coalition 
formed to fight drunk driving, drugged driving, and underage drinking 
in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region. Through educational and 
innovative public outreach programs, WRAP is credited with keeping 
local alcohol-related death rates consistently below the national 
average. Its programs educate students and the general public on the 
dangers of alcohol and drugs, particularly driving while under the 
influence. Through the WRAP Holiday SoberRide program, individuals who 
are impaired can request a free cab ride home. Since SoberRide was 
launched in 1993, 65,385 free cab rides have been provided in the 
Washington Metropolitan area, preventing potential accidents and 
deaths.
  In 1982, the year that WRAP was founded, 26,173 people in the United 
States lost their lives in alcohol-related car accidents, and 60 
percent of all traffic fatalities involved drunk driving. Due to the 
tireless efforts of WRAP, other organizations such as MADD and SADD, 
local and state police, and enforcement of more stringent anti-drunk 
driving laws, considerable progress has been made in decreasing the 
number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities, yet more still must be 
done. In 2015, 10,265 people died in the United States in alcohol-
related crashes which represents 29 percent of all traffic fatalities. 
Sadly, this is a 3.2 percent increase over the 2014 fatalities which 
totaled 9,967.
  Since 1997, WRAP has sponsored an annual Law Enforcement Awards 
Ceremony to honor local law enforcement professionals who have gone 
above and beyond the call of duty in the fight against drunk driving. 
It is my honor to include the following names of the Law Enforcement 
Awards of Excellence for Impaired Driving Prevention recipients:
  Officer Wesley Vitale, City of Alexandria Police Department;
  Officer John Clark, Arlington County Police Department;
  PFC Kevin Hedden, City of Falls Church Police Department;
  Second Lieutenant Jason Long, Fairfax County Police Department;
  Private First Class Eliezer Calo, Herndon Police Department;
  Deputy Jason Totaro, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office;
  Trooper First Class Anthony Wallace, Maryland State Police;
  Officer David Naples, Metropolitan Police Department;
  Police Officer III John P. Romack, Montgomery County Department of 
Police;
  Police Officer III Alex Latifov, Montgomery County Department of 
Police;
  Corporal Sage Saliba, Prince George's County Police Department;
  Officer Jeremy A. Schenck, Prince William County Police Department;
  Officer Benjamin Tomasiello, United States Park Police;
  Trooper Zachary Koon, Virginia State Police.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the 
recipients of the Law Enforcement Awards of Excellence and in 
recognizing WRAP for its 34 years of public service. I commend the 
staff of WRAP under the leadership of President Kurt Erickson for their 
tireless dedication to eradicating underage drinking and drunk or 
drugged driving. Their efforts combined with the support of partner 
organizations and law enforcement agencies have truly saved lives and 
are deserving of our highest praise and gratitude.

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