Front Range Law Enforcement Champions Announced by CDOT and MADD

Denver — The Colorado Department of Transportation and Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced the winners of the 2026 Law Enforcement Champion awards for the Front Range during an awards ceremony at Empower Field this week. These awards focus on efforts to reduce impaired driving, increase the use of seat belts and reduce speeding.

The Law Enforcement Champion award winners are:

• Dr. Robert E. Weltzer Outstanding Dedication to Traffic Safety:
  • Crystal Soderman, Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles
• Col. Mark V. Trostel Le Officer of the Year Award:
  • Sgt. Gordon Lawcock, Northglenn Police Department
• The Officer Andrew Duarte Person of Impact Award:
  • Corporal Mario J. Enriquez, Colorado State Patrol
  • Sgt. Michael "Mikey" Buccino, Steamboat Springs Police Department
• Excellence in Leadership Award:
  • Major Ian Whittington, Colorado State Patrol
• MADD Hero Award:
  • Officer Derek Bartlett, Manitou Springs Police Department
• Sgt. David Baldwin Award:
  • Deputy Trae Borror, Pueblo County Sheriff's Office
• Drug Recognition Expert of the Year, Front Range:
  • Sgt. Matthew Hammernik, Arvada Police Department
• Outstanding Dedication to Investigating Impaired Driving Crashes:
  • Castle Rock Police Department & 23rd District Attorney's Office Trial Team for People v. Stephenson
• Outstanding Dedication to Underage Drinking Prevention and Enforcement:
  • Traffic Safety Unit, Windsor Police Departments
  • Outstanding Individual Dedication to Impaired Driving Enforcement Mountain/Western Slope:
  • Deputy Cameron Sullivan, Summit County Sheriff's Office
  • Outstanding Individual Dedication to Impaired Driving Enforcement Front Range/Rural:
  • Officer Michaela Robertson, Manitou Springs Police Department
  • Kennedy Miller, Park Ranger III, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Chatfield State Park
  • Deputy Justin Slavin, Boulder County Sheriff's Office
• Outstanding Team Dedication to Impaired Driving Enforcement:
  
  • Colorado State Patrol Statewide DUI Travel Team, Colorado State Patrol
  • CSUPD Nights Team, Colorado State University Police Department
• Outstanding Victim Advocate:
  
  • Lindsey Bravdica, Victim Witness Director, Office of the District Attorney 20th Judicial District

A law enforcement champion is an individual who shows outstanding support for impaired driving, traffic safety or occupant protection enforcement. This can be demonstrated by the number of dangerous drivers removed from the roadways or arrests made during the established enforcement periods throughout the year. It can also be demonstrated by drug recognition expert activity, high visibility enforcement tactics and other related activities.

Awards will be presented to law enforcement champions in the western region of the state in Grand Junction this July.

Approximately one-third of traffic fatalities involve an impaired driver in Colorado. In addition, most traffic fatalities involve an unbuckled driver or passenger. Seat belts save an estimated 225 lives in Colorado each year. An additional 70 lives could have been saved if everyone in Colorado buckled up. The current seat belt use rate is 90.7%.

CDOT provides funding to Colorado law enforcement for impaired driving and seat belt enforcement campaigns. The Heat Is On campaign runs throughout the year with 15 specific high visibility impaired driving enforcement periods centered on national holidays and large public events. Enforcement periods can include sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and additional law enforcement on duty dedicated to impaired driving enforcement.

There are three high visibility seat belt enforcement periods that take place each year in Colorado.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk and drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking and other drug use. MADD has helped to save more than 400,000 lives, reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50 percent and promote designating a non-drinking driver. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® calls for law enforcement support, ignition interlocks for all offenders and advanced vehicle technology. MADD has provided supportive services to nearly one million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. Visit madd.org or call 1-877-ASK-MADD.