Tennessee Highway Safety Office Announces Award Recipients from 38th Annual Tennessee Lifesavers Conference, 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge

Official release

Tennessee Highway Safety Office Announces Award Recipients from 38th Annual Tennessee Lifesavers Conference, 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge

Monday, September 14, 2026 | 05:14pm

Today, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) announced award recipients from its 38th Annual Tennessee Lifesavers Conference and 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge held Sept. 16 – 18, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. Agencies and individuals were recognized for excelling in child passenger safety, drug recognition, teen driver safety, traffic enforcement, and more. Every year, the THSO hosts this event to empower highway safety professionals and recognize their extraordinary efforts made to reduce traffic fatalities statewide.

“The THSO is proud to recognize our traffic safety partners who offer unwavering dedication, courage, and compassion to help protect Tennesseans against roadway crashes,” said THSO Director Buddy Lewis. “Their relentless efforts transform commitment into action ensuring more loved ones make it home safely. We extend our deepest gratitude to these brave men and women for their selfless service and steadfast partnership in creating a safer Tennessee."

During pre-conference events on Wednesday, Sept 16, the THSO recognized Tennessee’s best child passenger safety technicians and drug recognition expert for excelling in their areas of expertise.

Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Award Winners

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

Fitting Station of the Year: Law Enforcement Agency – Lebanon Police Department

Fitting Station of the Year: Public Health and Emergency Services – 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 Fall Branch District

Dr. Robert Sander's Leadership and Service Award – Bethany Farmer, Tennessee Department of Children's Services Statewide Training Division

Drug Recognition Expert Service Award Winner

Officer Benjamin Parker, Collegedale Police Department

The THSO also recognized local high schools for excelling in the THSO’s Reduce TN Crashes program, a peer-to-peer initiative empowering students to promote teen driver safety in their local communities. During the 2025-2026 school year, forty-two schools across the state participated in the Reduce TN Crashes program. Among these schools, twenty received gold award recognition for earning 3,000 points or more through Reduce TN Crashes activities.

Reduce TN Crashes Gold Award Winners

Volunteer High School

Cherokee High School

Cheatham County Central High School

Hampton High School

Sycamore High School

Dyer County High School

Stone Memorial High School

Cumberland County High School

Bradley Central High School

North Greene High School

Harpeth High School

Chuckey Doak High School

Walker Valley High School

Campbell County High School

Clay County High School

Science Hill High School

Van Buren County High School

South Fulton High School

Sevier County High School

Obion County Central High School

The Reduce TN Crashes program concluded the school year with a total of 1,976 activities submitted, showcasing the widespread engagement of students and incredible impact of the program. The top two schools – Volunteer High School and Cherokee High School – led the pack by earning more than 100,000 points each.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, THSO Director Buddy Lewis presented Director’s Awards to individuals nominated for extraordinary efforts in supporting traffic safety. Winners were recognized for achievements in traffic safety education, advocacy, and/or enforcement to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities through THSO grant-funded programs. Descriptions of each Director’s Award winner are available at www.tnlifesaverschallenge.com.

Director’s Award Winners

Melvin Dowell, Union City Police Department (ret.)

Kim Van Atta – Former Assistant Director, Tennessee Highway Safety Office

Kevin Hager – Former Operations Administrator, Tennessee Highway Safety Office

Jason Ivey – Former Deputy Director, Tennessee Highway Safety Office

During the Director’s Awards ceremony, Director Lewis honored three additional individuals for the Lifetime Achievement Award and the new Kim Van Atta Memorial Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Award in honor of former Assistant Director Kim Van Atta whose passion for bicycle and pedestrian safety set an undeniable precedent for excellence in this category of traffic safety education.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Jeff Long – Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security

Roger Hutto – Deputy Commissioner/General Counsel, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security

Kim Van Atta Memorial Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Award

Bike Walk Knoxville

On Friday, Sept. 18, the THSO recognized the achievements of law enforcement agencies statewide during the 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge. This year, sixty-eight Law Enforcement Challenge applications were submitted: nineteen from the West region, twenty-one from the Middle region, fourteen from the East region, and fourteen from the Cumberland region. Law Enforcement Challenge award winners were determined based on the highest accumulation of points in each category. Points were accumulated based on THSO grant-funded activities to increase traffic safety in local communities, except for the Best-Looking Cruiser Award which was voter-based and the Beyond the Traffic Stop Award which was nominated.

22nd Annual Law Enforcement Challenge Winners

1 – 10 Officers Category

First Place: Benton Police Department

Second Place: Chapel Hill Police Department

Third Place: Jamestown Police Department

11 – 25 Officers Category

First place: Fairfield Glade Police Department

Second place: Metro Moore County Sheriff’s Office

Third place: Atoka Police Department

26 – 45 Officers Category

First place: Obion County Sheriff’s Office

Second place: McMinnville Police Department

Second place: Giles County Sheriff’s Office

46 – 75 Officers Category

First place: Greene County Sheriff’s Office

Second place: Dickson Police Department

Third place: Alcoa Police Department

76 – 100 Officers Category

First place: Columbia Police Department

Second place: Bristol Police Department

Third place: Cookeville Police Department

101 – 200 Officers Category

First place: Franklin Police Department

Second place: Collierville Police Department

Third place: Bartlett Police Department

201 – 500 Officers Category

First place: Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office

Second place: Williamson County Sheriff’s Office

Third place: Murfreesboro Police Department

501 or More Officers Category

First place: Metro Nashville Police Department

Second place: Shelby County Sheriff’s Office

Best-Looking Cruiser Award Winners

1 – 10 Officers Category: Benton Police Department

11 – 25 Officers Category: Monterey Police Department

26 – 45 Officers Category: Fairfield Glade Police Department

46 – 75 Officers Category: Gatlinburg Police Department

76 – 100 Officers Category: Pigeon Forge Police Department

101 – 200 Officers Category: Bartlett Police Department

201 – 500 Officers Category: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

501 or More Officers Category: Shelby County Sheriff’s Office

University Police Category: University of Tennessee – Chattanooga Police Department

Overall Winner: Gatlinburg Police Department

Beyond the Traffic Stop Award

Trooper Austin Alexander, Tennessee Highway Patrol

Highest-Scoring Police Department

Franklin Police Department

Highest-Scoring Sheriff’s Office

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office

Tennessee Highway Patrol Districts Category

First place: District 6 – Cookeville

Second place: District 5 – Fall Branch

Third place: District 4 – Memphis

University Police Category

First place: Walters State Community College Police Department

Regional Overall Award Winners

West Tennessee Region: Collierville Police Department

Middle Tennessee Region: Franklin Police Department

Cumberland Tennessee Region: Fairfield Glade Police Department

East Tennessee Region: Greene County Sheriff’s Office

For more information about the conference, please visit www.tnlifesaverschallenge.com.

Release text attributed to Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.