Law enforcement officers recognized for DWI efforts

Several law enforcement officers were recognized for their work keeping roads safe from drivers under the influence Tuesday morning at the 27th annual Oneida County STOP-DWI Program awards.

This event recognizes individual officers for their commitment to STOP-DWI’s mission. It was held this year at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica on Tuesday.

Those awarded include:

• Officer Joseph Aiello — Utica Police Department
• Officer Zachary Correnti — Yorkville Police Department
• Deputy Steven Eilers — Oneida County Sheriff’s Office
• Patrolman Zachary Hadasz — Rome Police Department
• Trooper Cody Stewart — New York State Police
• Officer Austin Szkotak — New York Mills Police Department
• Officer Robert Cornish — New Hartford Police Department

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente asked for a moment of silence for Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael Hoosock and Syracuse police Officer Michael Jensen.

“Nothing is normal in terms of patrol, and the things [law enforcement officers] do on a daily basis. The work all of you do across all departments is important, and so is the work of this program,” Picente said. “And I wanted to thank all of you who are here today… Our officers and deputies save countless lives every day, and we can’t thank them enough for their hard work and dedication.”

Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol echoed the county executive’s thoughts and thanked him for his continued support of the STOP-DWI initiative.

Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville thanked the award winners for their “...dedicated service this past year, and I look forward to working with STOP-DWI as the new district attorney.”

“One of the first steps I took when I took over the DA’s office was to try and identify issues we face in Oneida County, and intoxicated and impaired driving is one of those problems,” Carville added. “We’ve started the Vehicular Crimes Bureau and look forward to helping law enforcement with the successful prosecution of these cases.”

In 2023, 121 total impairment-related crashes occurred in Oneida County, which resulted in nine fatalities. More than 650 tickets were issued to impaired drivers.

“This event is a way for us to show our sincere appreciation for how diligently our local law enforcement members work to support the STOP-DWI mission and keep our roadways safe for all,” said Oneida County STOP-DWI Coordinator Eric Townsend.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Law enforcement officers recognized for DWI efforts