To honor those who have saved hundreds of lives, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Virginia issued awards to area officers with the highest number of DUI arrests.
Dozens of local and state law enforcement officers accepted the recognition Friday afternoon at the Vinton War Memorial.
Many of them are repeat winners.
Not only are the officers arresting drivers for drinking behind the wheel, but for drugged driving as well.
Organizers say the award-winners are oftentimes working extra hours to make a difference in this specific area of traffic violations.
“Officers that make DUI arrests are doing extra work. It's not a typical arrest. A DUI arrest takes much longer than a typical arrest, so they're off the clock for a couple of hours while they're making that arrest. Sometimes as many as four hours,” said Christopher Konschak, MADD Virginia program director.
10 News anchor Lindsey Ward had the honor of emceeing Friday's luncheon while Vinton Chief of Police Tom Foster gave the keynote address.Â