CLERMONT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
A. J. Rodenberg, Jr., Sheriff
"Leadership By Example"
Office (513) 732-7500
PRESS RELEASE
To : All Media
From: Sheriff Rodenberg
Clermont County Sheriff's Office
Date: October 5, 2005
Re: "Last Chance" Driving Program Receives National Recognition
In the year 2000 the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office identified a significant accident trend among the county’s young drivers that prompted the Sheriff’s Office staff to create the “Last Chance Driving Program” specially designed to educate and train repeat juvenile traffic offenders. It is a cooperative effort between the Sheriff’s Office, Clermont County Juvenile Court, Clermont County Juvenile Probation, and Child Focus. The program which is held at the Sheriff’s office twice a month allows juvenile traffic offenders deemed eligible by Clermont County Juvenile Court to complete an eight hour course of instruction in lieu of a license suspension.
Chief Deputy Rick Combs explained that all operating costs and expenses for the program including staff time and class materials are for paid by program participants. Over the past four years approximately 2,800 teen drivers have completed the program. After completing the program the teens are monitored for an additional six (6) months for reoccurring traffic offenses, and currently 80 percent of the program participants have avoided additional traffic crashes and violations.
The “Last Chance” initiative has received attention and praise locally, and this year the program was nominated by the Ohio Department of Public Safety to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association for the Peter O’Rourke Special Achievement Award for national traffic safety recognition. The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office was one of only five nominees within the United States selected to receive this prestigious award. Lt. Randy Harvey who administers, coordinates, and teaches in the program accepted the award at the Governor’s Highway Safety conference on August 31, 2005 in Norfolk, Virginia on behalf of Sheriff Rodenberg and the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg, Jr.
Pictured above: Lt. Randy Harvey & Chief Deputy Rick Combs