ADA, OK -- On Tuesday the Oklahoma Highway Patrol presented service awards at the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) Facility in Ada. The awards are recognition of troopers that demonstrated an excellent work ethic during the course of patrolling the highways of Oklahoma. The following awards will be presented to the Ada based troopers that are assigned to covering Pontotoc County.

ACES Award (Alcohol, Criminal Enforcement, Stolen Vehicles) This award is for the recognition of an OHP trooper who during a career aggressively interdicts drunk drivers and other criminal activity.

Unit Commendation Award (This award is bestowed to a group for combined exception achievement in the performance of assigned duties)

Troop Commanders Award (This award is bestowed by the Troop Commander for exceptional achievement by a trooper in the troop.)

Trooper Tyler Jack will receive the ACES and Unit Commendation awards.
During his career Trooper Jack has recovered 10 stolen vehicles, arrested
338 intoxicated drivers, completed 25 felony arrests and contacted a total of 11,956 moving violations, for this he will receive the ACES award. In addition to this award, the Unit Commendation will recognize the efforts of the Pontotoc County troopers for making 144 drug cases, 76 drunk driving cases and arresting 239 individuals while contacting 6,567 vehicles during their patrol of the roads and highway inside Pontotoc County the last year.

Trooper Brian Bagwell will receive the ACES for recovering 10 stolen vehicles, arresting 61 intoxicated drivers, making 35 felony arrests and contacting a total of 5,949 moving violations during his career, Bagwell will receive the Troop Commanders Award for the second time for his efforts in the last year for his overall activity of 44 drugs arrests, 15 drunk driving arrests and an additional 82 custodial arrests during his patrols in Pontotoc County . The Unit Commendation award will recognize the efforts of the Pontotoc County troopers for making 144 drug cases, 76 drunk driving cases and arresting 239 individuals while contacting 6,567 vehicles during their patrol of the roads and highway inside Pontotoc County.

Trooper Keith Teel will receive the Troop Commander for his effort in leading the troop in narcotics arrest. During the last year Trooper Teel has presented 36 narcotics cases for prosecution. The Unit Commendation award will recognize the efforts of the Pontotoc County troopers for making
144 drug cases, 76 drunk driving cases and arresting 239 individuals while contacting 6,567 vehicles during their patrol of the roads and highway inside Pontotoc County.

Trooper James McKee will receive the Troop Commander award for his efforts of combatting drunk drivers in Pontotoc County. Trooper McKee voluntarily accepts the late shift so he can emphasize preventing drunk driving collisions, during the last year he has taken 18 drunk drivers off the roads of Pontotoc County. The Unit Commendation award will recognize the efforts of the Pontotoc County troopers for making 144 drug cases, 76 drunk driving cases and arresting 239 individuals while contacting 6,567 vehicles during their patrol of the roads and highway inside Pontotoc County.

Trooper Robert Benedict will receive the Unit Commendation Award. The Unit Commendation award will recognize the efforts of the Pontotoc County troopers for making 144 drug cases, 76 drunk driving cases and arresting
239 individuals while contacting 6,567 vehicles during their patrol of the roads and highway inside Pontotoc County.

Trooper Allen Fortner will receive the Unit Commendation Award. The Unit Commendation award will recognize the efforts of the Pontotoc County troopers for making 144 drug cases, 76 drunk driving cases and arresting
239 individuals while contacting 6,567 vehicles during their patrol of the roads and highway inside Pontotoc County.

" The troopers assigned to Pontotoc County year after year work together collectively to ensure that the motoring public in Pontotoc County are well protected, I applaud each of these troopers for their dedication to making Pontotoc County and Oklahoma a safer place to drive ", said OHP Captain Ronnie Hampton, Troop Commander of Troop F.

Trooper Ashley Hampton who resides in Durant but is assigned to Johnston County in Tishomingo will receive the Troop Commanders Award for her work while assigned to Bryan County (Durant detachment) . Only assigned to road patrol for 61 days of the last year due to pregnancy and birth of her child, Trooper Hampton in that 61 day period arrested 11 drunk drivers and took an additional 34 people into custody for a variety of criminal violations, she investigated 27 collisions and took enforcement action at these collision scenes 78 percent of the time, she averaged nearly 12 car stops every day. In addition to this outstanding work ethic, she was actively involved in numerous school and community activities representing the patrol. Trooper Hampton is regularly complimented by prosecutors on her ability at criminal report writing. For her efforts she will receive the Troop Commanders Award.

Troop F covers Garvin, Murray, Pontotoc, Johnston, Carter and Love counties.