Crime & Safety

Cranford Police Officer Earns 'Top Gun' Award

Patrolman Steven D'Ambola was honored by the state.

An officer with the was recognized this week for his continued success in impaired driving enforcement. Patrolman Steven D’Ambola was awarded a 2011 “Top Gun” award by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (DHTS) in recognition of his ongoing efforts in detecting and arresting drunk and impaired drivers. The DHTS awards one “Top Gun” in each county and to each New Jersey State Police troop.

Patrolman D’Ambola received the award for 2011 after leading all Union County police officers with 26 impaired driver arrests. D’Ambola is a seven year veteran of the Cranford Police Department and is currently assigned to the Patrol Division. The Cranford Police Department reported a total of 85 impaired driver arrests in 2011.

Cranford Police Chief Eric Mason indicated that impaired driver enforcement is taken seriously by the entire department, which frequently participates in statewide enforcement crackdowns such as last December’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

“Drunk driving is recognized nationwide as a phenomenon that needlessly and recklessly endangers countless innocent lives,” he stated. “I applaud Officer D’Ambola, and all of the recipients of this award statewide, for their stellar efforts to protect motorists from those whose behavior often leads to tragedy.”

The chief further noted that over 30 percent of all fatal crashed can be attributed in some way to alcohol.

The award was presented at the DHTS’ New Jersey Remembers ceremony at the Trenton War Memorial on April 24. The ceremony is held annually to honor and remember those lives lost in crashes involving impaired drivers, and to spotlight officers that consistently excel in impaired driver enforcement. It is run by DHTS in cooperation with local and state law enforcement agencies, substance abuse prevention organizations, and traffic safety advocates.

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