VACP Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Champion Awards
Recognizing Virginia law enforcement agencies and officers for extraordinary achievement in and contribution to roadway safety in the Commonwealth — 2026 Nominations Due June 1
With the goal of encouraging our Virginia law enforcement agencies and officers to make traffic safety education and enforcement a priority in their locality, the VACP is pleased to offer this new recognition program for those who are making a concerted effort to help reduce injuries and fatalities on our roadways.
The VACP will recognize either agencies, teams, or individuals with ten (10) awards:
- Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) of the Year
- Occupant Protection Champion Award
- Crash Investigation Champion Award
- Roadway Safety Leadership Award
- Roadway Safety Innovation Award
- Public Information Champion Award
- NEW for 2026! Commercial Vehicle Safety Champion Award
- NEW for 2026! Beyond the Traffic Stop Champion
- NEW for 2026! Rural Roadway Safety Champion Award
- NEW for 2026! Campus Roadway and Pedestrian Safety Champion Award
Nominations for the 2026 VACP Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Champion Awards may be submitted via the online form and are due JUNE 1, 2026. The 2026 awards will be presented at the 101st Annual VACP Conference, August 30 – September 2, in Roanoke, VA (or at a local presentation for those who cannot attend in Roanoke).
If you have any questions reference the nomination process, please reach out to John Keohane, VACP Highway Safety Project Manager, to ask questions — john@vachiefs.org or 804-363-5211.
About the Award Categories
Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) of the Year – The award is presented to an individual member of the DRE program who has demonstrated a commitment to enforcement, education, and community engagement to help decrease the incidents of impaired driving. May include a DRE Instructor who has demonstrated superior knowledge, teaching ability, and dedication to advancing the field of impaired driving enforcement.
Occupant Protection Champion Award – Presented to an individual or team who understands that many people killed in crashes are unrestrained. The individual or team has shown an outstanding commitment to education, awareness, and enforcement of child passenger safety and safety belt laws. May include CPS Techs and Instructors who have shown an outstanding commitment to training and community education.
Crash Investigation Champion Award – Presented to an individual or team who understands investigating and recreating crash scenes is vital to enduring just resolution in criminal cases. This awardee has shown exemplary commitment to investigating fatality and severe injury crashes, instruction, community education, and collaboration with other roadway safety stakeholders.
Roadway Safety Leadership Award - This award recognizes a law enforcement supervisor or command staff member, who is a driving force in making roadway safety a high priority focus of his or her department.
Roadway Safety Innovation Award - this award recognizes an individual, team, or agency for innovative enforcement, education, technology, and/or community engagement programs to enhance roadway safety in their community.
Public Information Champion Award – this award recognizes the individual public information officer or team who demonstrate innovative ways to raise awareness of roadway safety initiatives and to educate the community on roadway and pedestrian safety.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Champion Award - This award is presented to an individual or team, who demonstrates outstanding commitment to commercial motor vehicle safety through proactive enforcement, education, and/or outreach. The recipient(s) has shown exemplary dedication to reducing crashes involving commercial motor vehicles and to improving compliance within the commercial vehicle industry. This may include conducting high-quality roadside safety inspections, overweight inspections, leading multi-agency CMV-focused enforcement initiatives, executing impactful investigations involving motor carriers, conducting specialized training, mentoring others in commercial vehicle enforcement, and/or engaging with industry stakeholders to promote highway safety.
Beyond the Traffic Stop Champion Award – This award recognizes the law enforcement officer based upon a traffic stop that results in outstanding cases through professional police work to make arrests, solve crimes, and/or seizures of stolen property, narcotics etc. The award also highlights the resulting benefits to the community, law enforcement, roadway safety, and crime victims.
Rural Roadway Safety Champion Award – This award recognizes a rural law enforcement agency with innovative rural road safety campaigns that combine enforcement and community outreach to bring critical occupant protection and roadway safety messaging and enforcement to rural communities.
Campus Roadway and Pedestrian Safety Champion Award – This award is presented to campus police, public safety, or security department, or individual employee, team or unit for outstanding service and initiatives supporting the effective promotion and enforcement of roadway and pedestrian safety.