The 68th annual Crime Prevention Awards was held Feb. 1 at the Wisconsin Club, and Marquette University Police Department Sgt. Carrie Peters received the AAA traffic safety award.
Peters has worked for one year to increase traffic safety on Marquette’s campus, made possible by an $8,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation last year.
Due to the success of Sgt. Peters and the officers who worked with her, she received the AAA traffic safety award. The AAA traffic safety award recognizes police or private citizens who put significant work into preventing traffic-related accidents.
“Sgt. Peters was nominated for her work on pedestrian safety issues around campus,” said Nick Jarmusz, director of public affairs for the Wisconsin AAA. “She successfully applied for a High-Visibility Enforcement Pedestrian Grant from the Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Transportation Safety on behalf of the Marquette University Police Department to improve campus area safety. Sergeant Peters not only oversaw the project, but put considerable time and effort to ensure its success.”
During a year-long project, MUPD stopped traffic violators more than it would have been able to due to the increased funding, and it partnered with companies such as 7-Eleven to provide coupons to people following traffic laws.
“We are educating, identifying violations and trying to teach people on both sides how to keep themselves safer,” Peters said.
According to Peters, traffic-related incidents have decreased since she and other officers started their work, and she hopes that continues.
“We have reached hundreds of people to really spread the message and improve things,” she said. “We’ve definitely seen progress.”
MUPD Captain Kranz said he was proud that Peters’ efforts were rewarded.
“The crime prevention awards are usually dominated by the Milwaukee Police Department, so it was cool to see the MUPD recognized,” he said. “She would be the one that would go out into traffic, she stayed late, she did a lot of work on it and that’s why she got recognized.”
