[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 78 (Friday, May 10, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COMMENDING SHERIFF JASON ARD

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                           HON. GARRET GRAVES

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 10, 2019

  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend 
Sheriff Jason Ard for winning the Destination Zero Officer Traffic 
Safety Award. Talking about change is easy, as this body well knows. 
Making change happen is a different thing altogether. Sheriff Ard 
earned this recognition by taking decisive action to solve a real 
problem affecting the performance of his deputies. In January 2017, 
Sheriff Ard was advised that Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office had a 
`bad driving' problem and that his deputies were spending too much on 
vehicle maintenance and repairs, having at-fault accidents, and dealing 
with crash injuries and even lawsuit settlements. So he stepped in and 
initiated change. First, he identified those among his deputies with 
safe driving records and rewarded them with an extra week off. He also 
installed GPS devices on all Sheriff's office vehicles and required all 
deputies to complete the NADA pursuit driving class--some of his 
drivers ended up becoming trainers. The result? An immediate 28 percent 
reduction in at fault crashes, a 62 percent reduction in damage costs, 
a 25 percent reduction in lawsuits, and an 87 percent reduction in 
lawsuit settlement payments. Sheriff Ard's leadership and decisive 
action serve as a model for law enforcement teams across the country 
that may be facing the same issues. I thank him for his service to our 
community and to the State of Louisiana--and for setting the example.

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