McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Receives Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge Award

McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Woods received the Illinois County Sheriff’s Award, “Looking Beyond the Safety Belt” for his role in a traffic stop that resulted din the seizure of two kilos of cocaine last year, Sheriff Keith Nygren announced Wednesday in a press release.

Woods received his award at the Traffic Safety Awards Breakfast at Illinois Police & Security Expo in Tinley Park.

On April 13, 2011 Woods conducted a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle where the driver was not wearing his seatbelt. During the traffic stop a search of the vehicle was conducted and two kilos of cocaine were found.

Woods’s award is just one example of the hard work the men and women of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office perform each and every day, a release announcing the award stated.

The Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge is coordinated by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Committee, and is designed to challenge police departments, county sheriff agencies, state police districts and other law enforcement agencies to tackle traffic safety problems in their jurisdictions in unique ways.

The “Looking Beyond the Safety Belt” award was established to recognize law enforcement officers whose observations during a traffic stop based on a safety belt violation, result in the discovery of evidence of a crime and/or apprehension of criminals. A panel of judges selected by the ILACP Traffic Committee reviewed all entries and determines the top winner each year, in different categories including county sheriff departments.