Fargo Law Enforcement Appreciation Breakfast

Project Characteristics Program Areas Show appreciation to law enforcement for their efforts to support and increase safety in the community. Law Enforcement Child Restraints Seat Belts Alcohol Awareness Targeted Audience Jurisdiction Public, local news stations, local newspaper Fargo Area

Project Goals

• To create awareness about Safe Communities.
  
• To provide Public recognition for traffic safety programs.
  
• To increase enforcement of occupant protection and alcohol laws.
  
• To increase participation of coalition members in program activities.
  

Strategies and Activities

The Fargo Appreciation Breakfast is held to bring local recognition to Fargo Safe Communities and to recognize 10 law enforcement agencies for citations in DUI arrests, Child Restraint violations, Seat Belt violations, and Minor in Consumption (MIC) violations for fiscal year 2002. The officer with the most citations from each agency was recognized and awarded. The breakfast also honored the outstanding business of the year and outstanding coalition member of the year. This will promote coalition members to step forward and be willing to help with other projects.

Fargo Safe Communities Executive committee and program coordinator together with local sponsorships from Gentle Touch Massage and MADD were instrumental in pulling this breakfast together and making it a huge success. Minnesota Safe Communities also donated incentives such as pens, sunglass clips, ice scrapers, and buckle-up incentives. The Ramada Inn, Fargo hosted the breakfast. They helped make the breakfast a success by having the room and breakfast ready so that the Executive committee was able to focus on the awards ceremony and its recipients.

Continuation of this breakfast will help law enforcement agencies and local safe communities to promote public awareness of Child restraints, youth drinking, drinking and driving, and seat belt usage.

Results

• Agencies that support Safe Communities were recognized.
  
• States Attorney has taken more interest in and referred people to the Victim Impact Panel.
  
• Relationships with all people that work with local Safe Communities were strengthened.