Hilliard Police Department's Officer Quinn Izar has been heralded for his diligent work keeping the streets free of impaired drivers, an accolade presented by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for the second consecutive year. At the MADD Central Ohio Honoring Our Heroes Law Enforcement Recognition Luncheon held on December 11, Izar was awarded the Award of Excellence, a repeat honor following his recognition in 2022, as Hilliard's official government website reported.
Joining the force in 2020, Izar has been a vigilant member of the third-shift patrol and has tallied 24 OVI arrests since the start of 2024, an effort that leads the department. His commitment, recognized by his supervisor, Sgt. Josh Cohill was captured when Cohill stated via the City of Hilliard, "Officer Quinn Izar is dedicated to MADD’s mission of ending drunk driving,” said Sgt. Cohill. “He works the third shift when traffic is sparse throughout the city. However, Officer Izar is a consummate professional and is not deterred, still managing to take those that wish to drink and drive from our roadways."
Officer Izar's role in the fight against impaired driving extends beyond enforcement. He contributes to local education initiatives by co-instructing an OVI course at the Division’s Citizen’s Police Academy. Izar lends his expertise to the curriculum's development and the delivery of critical information meant to prevent impaired driving incidents before they happen.
The luncheon, which acknowledges the work of those in the centralized Ohio region committed to curbing drunk and drugged driving, highlights the quiet heroism of figures like Izar. MADD underscores the difficulty in quantifying the true impact of these efforts, admitting that "while law enforcement agencies can count the number of impaired drivers removed from roadways, they cannot count the number of lives saved – the most important statistic of all." These sobering words illustrate the invaluable and often intangible beneficial outcome of such steadfast policing.
Photo glimpses of the event put faces to the fight against impaired driving, including Hilliard Deputy Chief of Police Ron Clark alongside Officer Izar, presenting a united front in this critical and ongoing public safety battle.
