[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 113 (Friday, July 6, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  RECOGNIZING THE WASHINGTON REGIONAL ALCOHOL PROGRAM LAW ENFORCEMENT 
                    AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 6, 2018

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Washington 
Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), and to congratulate the recipients of 
the 20th Annual Law Enforcement Awards of Excellence for Impaired 
Driving Prevention.
  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, especially here in the 
Washington Metropolitan Region. According to the Council of 
Governments, the number of alcohol-impaired fatalities, injuries, and 
crashes have all decreased since 2014. However, more work still remains 
as 32.75 percent of all traffic fatalities in the region in 2016 were 
alcohol or drug related.
  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 in the Record the names of the 2017 Law 
Enforcement Awards of Excellence for Impaired Driving Prevention 
recipients:
  Officer Wesley Vitale, City of Alexandria Police Department
  Master Police Officer Dimitrios Mastoras, Arlington County Police 
Department
  Corporal Kevin Hedden, City of Falls Church Police Department
  Officer Devin White, Fairfax County Police Department
  Private First Class Eliezer Calo, Town of Herndon Police Department
  Deputy John Chavez, Loudoun County Sheriff's Office
  Trooper Dennis Moguche, Maryland State Police
  Officer Derrick Ferguson, Metropolitan Police Department
  Police Officer II Lawrence Caldwell, Montgomery County Department of 
Police
  Police Officer III John Romack, Montgomery County Department of 
Police
  Police Officer First Class Richard D. Carlson III, Prince George's 
County Police Department
  Officer Matthew Sciabica, Prince William County Police Department
  Officer Benjamin Tomasiello, United States Park Police
  Trooper Lucie Vajglova, 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 35 years of public service. I commend the 
staff of WRAP, under the leadership of President Kurt Erickson and 
Board Chairman Gary Cohen, 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 saved lives and are deserving of our highest praise and gratitude.

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