PINEVILLE — When driving impaired through Pineville chances are good you will be caught by Patrolman Barry Mays.
Mays, who averaged at least one driving under the influence arrest per week this year in Pineville, has received statewide recognition for his effort by the Kentucky Department of Transportation Cabinet. Patrolman Mays and Police Chief Bill Matthews traveled to the Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington to attend the state awards event.
“The Pineville Police Department had 85 DUI arrests and 51 of those arrests were mine. It wasn’t that many, I could have arrested more, if I had put more effort. That is only an average of one per week. I don’t appreciate an impaired driver. They are a danger to all of us,” stated Mays.
Mays has received the departmental award for arresting impaired drivers for both 2006 and 2007. In addition to the town awards, this year Patrolman Mays won third place in Division One, which includes all of small towns and counties with ten or less police officers.
“When I went to the ceremonies, I knew I was going to get the departmental award, that’s why we had the invitation. I was sitting with Chief Bill Matthews and didn’t know I was going to get third place in the state, they didn’t tell us,” Mays said.
He believed it took more driving under the influence arrests than he had to place in the state.
“When they started calling off names, mine was the first, for third place in the state,” Mays stated.
Second place in Division One was won by a Grayson police officer Tony Cantrell and first place was won by Tom Wyatt of Johnson County, who had around 80 DUI arrests. Wyatt is a sergeant with Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Mays, who worked with Wyatt in the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, received his on-the-job-training from Wyatt.
Bell County Kentucky State Police Officer Tyson Lawson also won the award for most DUI arrests for Post 10, in Harlan.
There were about 200 officers present from across the state to receive recognition for outstanding achievement in the apprehension of impaired drivers.
C.J. Harte is a Correspondent for the Daily News. He can be reached via e-mail at charte@middlesborodailynews.com.
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