A UHP Officer in Davis County, Utah, was given an award for arresting people for DUI last week. She refers to it as hunting for DUIs. During this hunt, you have to wonder how many times the officer gets buck fever and makes a DUI out of an innocent person. How many people’s lives has this officer ruined. I personally have seen many of this officer’s cases dismissed or substantially reduced. I have seen her be rude and abusive to people that she pulls over. She gets the award for making over 200 arrests in 2007, and the year has not ended. She gets the award for making over 750 arrests for DUIs in the past 5 years. Her boss says "she is a great asset to the citizens of Utah." Really. I guess that is one way to look at it, unless she picks you as the person to help her get her next award.
Some of the highlights from the article are:
- This year alone, Steed has stopped more than 2,000 cars, Nordfelt said.
- In her five-year career, she’s made more than 750 arrests for driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and more than 1,200 total arrests, according to UHP statistics.
- “The troopers I work with, they spend a lot of their own hunting time backing me and waiting for tow trucks while they could be looking for their own people to take to jail,” she said. “Without the people I work with and the sergeant’s and lieutenant’s support, I couldn’t have made it to these goals.”
According to this article, citizens being pulled over are just statistics that help an officer get an award for stopping and harassing citizens. Is there an award for the officer who stops and helps a person change a tire, who takes the time to investigate and arrest drug dealers, or who puts child molesters behind bars? Maybe there is, but what is the officer’s motivation when we give them awards for stopping 2000 people hunting for DUIs. Seems to me that the motivation is no longer to protect and serve. It seems now, the duty is to stop and harass to see if you too can be Trooper of the year.
Read the whole article by clicking the link below.
Publication:Standard Examiner; Date:Nov 12, 2007; Section:Top of Utah; Page Number:2B
UHP Trooper of the Year named and it’s a first — a female o
• cer
Davis County resident made more than 200 DUI arrests in 2007
BY SAM COOPER Standard-Examiner staff scooper@standard.net
FARMINGTON — Utah Highway Patrol Officer Lisa Steed, who made more than 200 DUI arrests in 2007, has been named Trooper of the Year by the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Colleagues say the West Point resident is the first woman to receive the honor.
“When it comes down to it, this is what I signed on to do, protect the lives of people in Utah,” Steed said.
The award is in recognition of outstanding police work and a community-based approach to public service, according to Sgt. Shane Nordfelt, Steed’s immediate supervisor with the UHP.
“She’s a great asset for the citizens of Utah to have working on the highway patrol,” Nordfelt said. “She works well with the public, she’ll stop for motorists that need help, changing tires or getting off the freeway.”
Fellow troopers say Steed has a remarkable record of police work. In her five-year career, she’s made more than 750 arrests for driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and more than 1,200 total arrests, according to UHP statistics.
This year alone, Steed has stopped more than 2,000 cars, Nordfelt said.
“She’s got a work ethic that’s second to none,” said Kim Farnsworth, with the UHP. “I’ve never seen anyone work so hard.”
Fellow officers say Steed’s ability to work with other team members made her especially qualified for the award.
“One of the things that really impresses me about Lisa is she’s willing to help her other officers,” Nordfelt said. “She’ll also share and relay her experience and knowledge with other officers to help them get better.”
Steed was selected for the award by the Honorary Colonels, a group of influential members of the community, Nordfelt said. She competed for the honor against troopers from around the state.
In addition to being named trooper of the year, Steed received the Public Safety Star which “recognizes a member of the department for extraordinary acts or accomplishments,” according to the UHP.
“For the last five years I basically led the county in DUI arrests, physical custody arrests and traffic stops,” Steed said.
She credits her fellow officers for making the awards possible.
“The troopers I work with, they spend a lot of their own hunting time backing me and waiting for tow trucks while they could be looking for their own people to take to jail,” she said. “Without the people I work with and the sergeant’s and lieutenant’s support, I couldn’t have made it to these goals.”
Steed graduated from Weber State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. While in school, she worked for four years as a police dispatcher.
“She’s not the typical trooper,” Nordfelt said. “There’s not the commanding presence as far as size, (but) she’s just a little ball of fire and energy. I just stay out of her way and let her go to work.”
Law Office of Glen W. Neeley 
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