Ditching the "A" Word - MADD

As National President of MADD, I have the opportunity to stand and support our law enforcement in all agencies across the country.  One such organization is the National Sheriffs Association, which has dedicated itself to serve the office of the Sheriff with police education, police training and general law enforcement resources for more than 75 years.  

As a member, I serve on the Domestic Violence and Crime Victim Services Committee and audit the Traffic Safety Committee. And at the recent 2017 Winter Legislative and Technology Conference in Washington, D.C., I had the honor of co-presenting with Sheriff John Whetsel on “Treating Victims of DUI/Impaired Driving Crashes as Crime Victims."

Our presentation centered on removing the “A” word from our vocabulary. The “A” word is "accident'. The right word for these violent crimes is “crash.” The aim of our seminar was to change that mind-set and to educate and ensure that victims of these crashes are responded to by law enforcement in a crime/victim-centered way, with all the referrals, support, and crime victim compensation resources due victims of a violent crime.

MADD National President – Colleen Sheehey-Church