Officer James Hamer of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Campus Police Department was recognized by the West Tennessee Highway Safety Enforcement Initiative for his dedication in the areas of speed and seatbelt enforcement in the medical district.
He received an award during the organization’s quarterly meeting earlier this month in Denmark, Tennessee, and is the first ever recipient from UTHSC. Hamer was nominated by Sergeant Joanne Morrow of the UTHSC Campus Police Department.
From February to August of this year, UTHSC was one of many participants in the Tennessee Highway Safety Office’s Seatbelts Are For Everyone (S.A.F.E.) campaign. This statewide initiative is designed to increase seat belt and child passenger safety restraint usage through the implementation of occupant-protection programs, public events, and checkpoints throughout communities across Tennessee. UTHSC continues to work on these initiatives daily.
Hamer has been with UTHSC since 2010. Prior to UTHSC, he worked with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in the Homeland Security Department. He is a graduate of Tech High School and attended LeMoyne-Owen College.
“Officer Hamer is the epitome of a campus police officer,” said Anthony Berryhill, UTHSC Chief of Police. “He truly has a heart for the work and for the people he serves. He never asks for anything, but he is always offering his services to the campus community and his peers. There is nothing you can ask of Officer Hamer that he will not deliver on. Acknowledging the need for seat belt and child restraint enforcement was just another simple task for Officer Hamer, because he believes in the need. I am very proud of this young man and I am equally as happy for him being recognized for his good work.”
“Each work day, I try to just do the best that I can in the work that I do for the UTHSC campus and within the medical district,” Officer Hamer said. “I wasn’t expecting a nomination or to be recognized for trying to correct driving behaviors of individuals, but it feels pretty good, and I appreciate Sergeant Morrow for taking the time to nominate me. I know we need to keep this area as safe as possible, and I believe in the ongoing campaign we are involved in.”
In addition to the areas of speed and seatbelt enforcement, law enforcement officers were also observed and nominated according to submitted statistics in the areas of officer of the year, trooper of the year, deputy of the year, impaired driving, child passenger safety, beyond the traffic stop, and DUI prosecutor of the year.