Monroe County Sheriff’s wins “best department”

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department was awarded “best small sheriff’s department” by the Governor’s Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving Friday morning for its participation in Operation Pull Over. \nGov. Mitch Daniels presented the award to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department at a banquet at the Ritz Charles in Carmel, Ind., said Larry Woods, law enforcement liaison with the governor’s council.\nThe Monroe County Sheriff’s Department won the award based on its participation and “production” in Operation Pullover, Woods said. “Production” refers to the number of arrests made by the department. Chief Deputy Scott Mellinger of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said the award also considered the number of “contacts,” which includes the times cars are stopped for one reason or another, even if drivers are not necessarily issued citations or arrested. \nOperation Pull Over is designed to prevent impaired driving and increase seat belt use in Indiana, according to an Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Web site. Operation Pull Over started in late October, Mellinger said.