PennDOT officials were on hand to acknowledged the efforts of the Erie County DUI Task Force. 

The enforcement initials coupled with education outreach led by the task force are critical to achieving the mission of reduction impaired driving crashes and fatalities on our roadways.

The Erie County DUI Task Force is partially funded through PennDOT's police traffic services enforcement grant.

The grant is designed to facilitate coordination of local police assets. The program covers costs such as officer overtime, equipment purchases, and associated trainings.

"At the end of the day we're just trying to create safe roadways," said Jeffery Parker, City of Erie Police. "Whether it's the drug detection or whether it's alcohol, ultimately having these people removed off the roadways to make them safe for all is the ultimate goal."

Parker was recognized for the Top Gun award for issuing the second most DUI arrests in Pennsylvania in 2023 with 126 arrests. 

According to the City of Erie, the average number of DUI arrests for the past 35 Top Gun Award winners was 43 DUI arrests.