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Tennessee Highway Safety Office Honors Agencies and Individuals Working to Make State Roads Safer

Writer: Tala Shatara
Tala Shatara
Sep 18
4 min read

More than 100 awards were presented during the 38th Annual Tennessee Lifesavers Conference and 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge in Nashville.


NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Highway Safety Office recognized law enforcement agencies, public safety professionals, educators and students from across the state for their efforts to reduce traffic crashes and save lives.


The awards were presented during the 38th Annual Tennessee Lifesavers Conference and 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge, held Sept. 16–18 in Nashville. Honorees were recognized for excellence in child passenger safety, drug recognition, teen driver education, traffic enforcement and other areas of roadway safety.


“The THSO is proud to recognize our traffic safety partners who offer unwavering dedication, courage and compassion to help protect Tennesseans against roadway crashes,” THSO Director Buddy Lewis said. “Their relentless efforts transform commitment into action, ensuring more loved ones make it home safely.”


Lewis also thanked the honorees for their service and continued partnership in creating safer roadways throughout Tennessee.


Child passenger safety and drug recognition awards

During pre-conference events Wednesday, Sept. 16, the THSO honored the state’s leading child passenger safety technicians and a drug recognition expert.

Child Passenger Safety Award recipients included:

  • Technician of the Year: Melissa Monday, Claiborne County Family Resource Center

  • Law Enforcement Fitting Station of the Year: Lebanon Police Department

  • Public Health and Emergency Services Fitting Station of the Year: Johnson City Fire Department

  • Instructor of the Year: Leah Thomas, Putnam County EMS and Life Force

  • Diamond of the Year: Sgt. Joe McNulty, Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Fall Branch District

  • Dr. Robert Sanders Leadership and Service Award: Bethany Farmer, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services Statewide Training Division

Officer Benjamin Parker of the Collegedale Police Department received the Drug Recognition Expert Service Award.



Tennessee high schools recognized for teen driver safety

The THSO also honored high schools participating in Reduce TN Crashes, a peer-to-peer program that empowers students to promote safe driving in their communities.

Forty-two Tennessee schools participated during the 2025–26 academic year, collectively completing 1,976 traffic-safety activities. Twenty schools earned Gold Award recognition after accumulating at least 3,000 points through the program:

  1. Volunteer High School

  2. Cherokee High School

  3. Cheatham County Central High School

  4. Hampton High School

  5. Sycamore High School

  6. Dyer County High School

  7. Stone Memorial High School

  8. Cumberland County High School

  9. Bradley Central High School

  10. North Greene High School

  11. Harpeth High School

  12. Chuckey-Doak High School

  13. Walker Valley High School

  14. Campbell County High School

  15. Clay County High School

  16. Science Hill High School

  17. Van Buren County High School

  18. South Fulton High School

  19. Sevier County High School

  20. Obion County Central High School

Volunteer High School and Cherokee High School led the statewide program, each earning more than 100,000 points.


Director’s and lifetime achievement awards

On Thursday, Sept. 17, Lewis presented the THSO Director’s Awards to four individuals nominated for extraordinary contributions to traffic safety education, advocacy and enforcement:

  • Melvin Dowell, retired Union City Police Department officer

  • Kim Van Atta, former THSO assistant director

  • Kevin Hager, former THSO operations administrator

  • Jason Ivey, former THSO deputy director

Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long and Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel Roger Hutto received Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The THSO also introduced the Kim Van Atta Memorial Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Award, honoring the former assistant director’s commitment to bicycle and pedestrian safety education. Bike Walk Knoxville became the award’s first recipient.

Additional information about the Director’s Award recipients is available at Tennessee Lifesavers Challenge.


Law Enforcement Challenge recognizes agencies statewide

The conference concluded Friday, Sept. 18, with the 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge.


Sixty-eight agencies submitted applications, including 19 from West Tennessee, 21 from Middle Tennessee, 14 from East Tennessee and 14 from the Cumberland region.

Most awards were determined by points earned through THSO grant-funded traffic-safety activities. The Best-Looking Cruiser awards were selected through voting, while the Beyond the Traffic Stop Award was nomination-based.


Agencies with one to 10 officers

  • First place: Benton Police Department

  • Second place: Chapel Hill Police Department

  • Third place: Jamestown Police Department

Agencies with 11 to 25 officers

  • First place: Fairfield Glade Police Department

  • Second place: Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office

  • Third place: Atoka Police Department

Agencies with 26 to 45 officers

  • First place: Obion County Sheriff’s Office

  • Second-place tie: McMinnville Police Department and Giles County Sheriff’s Office

Agencies with 46 to 75 officers

  • First place: Greene County Sheriff’s Office

  • Second place: Dickson Police Department

  • Third place: Alcoa Police Department

Agencies with 76 to 100 officers

  • First place: Columbia Police Department

  • Second place: Bristol Police Department

  • Third place: Cookeville Police Department

Agencies with 101 to 200 officers

  • First place: Franklin Police Department

  • Second place: Collierville Police Department

  • Third place: Bartlett Police Department

Agencies with 201 to 500 officers

  • First place: Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office

  • Second place: Williamson County Sheriff’s Office

  • Third place: Murfreesboro Police Department

Agencies with 501 or more officers

  • First place: Metro Nashville Police Department

  • Second place: Shelby County Sheriff’s Office


Gatlinburg Police Department wins Best-Looking Cruiser

The Gatlinburg Police Department was named the overall winner of the 2026 Best-Looking Cruiser competition.

Category winners included:

  • One to 10 officers: Benton Police Department

  • 11 to 25 officers: Monterey Police Department

  • 26 to 45 officers: Fairfield Glade Police Department

  • 46 to 75 officers: Gatlinburg Police Department

  • 76 to 100 officers: Pigeon Forge Police Department

  • 101 to 200 officers: Bartlett Police Department

  • 201 to 500 officers: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

  • 501 or more officers: Shelby County Sheriff’s Office

  • University police: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Police Department

Trooper Austin Alexander of the Tennessee Highway Patrol received the Beyond the Traffic Stop Award.

Franklin Police Department was named the Highest-Scoring Police Department, while Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office earned recognition as the Highest-Scoring Sheriff’s Office.


Highway patrol, university and regional winners

The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Cookeville district placed first among THP districts, followed by the Fall Branch district in second place and the Memphis district in third.

Walters State Community College Police Department won the University Police category.

Regional overall winners included:

  • West Tennessee: Collierville Police Department

  • Middle Tennessee: Franklin Police Department

  • Cumberland region: Fairfield Glade Police Department

  • East Tennessee: Greene County Sheriff’s Office

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