FRONT ROYAL — The Front Royal Police Department has been honored for its traffic safety program.

The department tied for third place in the Virginia Law Enforcement Challenge with the Bedford and Christiansburg police departments.

The program analyzes "the resources of participating departments to concentrate on various issues of traffic safety," a press release from the Police Department states.

The department submitted data on incentives and programs throughout the year, including speed awareness and driving under the influence enforcement, the release states. The department was judged on three categories: The effect of those efforts, enforcement strategies and impact of the overall traffic safety program.

"One of the areas that showed a positive impact was the decline in vehicle accidents within the town of Front Royal," according to the release.

Overall, crashes declined 12 percent since 2005.

"The implementation of a Traffic Enforcement Division within the department has played a major role in this decline," Chief Ronald Williamson says in the release.

Williamson also praised traffic enforcement officer Donald Orye, who was instrumental in getting the data.

Daily Staff Report

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