Marana Police Officer Jared Voigt with the 2023 Honoring Heroes Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
MARANA- A Marana Police Officer is being recognized for his work in DUI enforcement and education.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) of Arizona awarded the 2023 Honoring Heroes Award to Officer Jared Voigt. This is the second time Officer Voigt has been selected as a MADD award recipient. He also received the Honoring Heroes Award in 2021.
“We go to these ceremonies, we hear stories from people who have been affected by drunk drivers, people who have lost family members and it really points out the importance of why we do this because of how it affects everybody within the community,” said Marana Police Officer Jared Voigt.
Officer Voigt is a certified Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) technician as well as trained phlebotomist. He has also attended Advanced Roadside Impaired Driver Enforcement Training and is a certified Drug Recognition Expert. Officer Voigt has performed about 300 DUI investigations to date.
“My passion for this is unfortunately I’ve seen a lot of collisions within the Town of Marana. I’ve seen a lot of injuries even some fatalities,” said Officer Voigt.
Officer Voigt recently led an HGN training course for his colleagues at the Marana Police Department. The Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) Field Sobriety Test checks a person’s eyes for involuntary jerking as they gaze to the side. Officer Voigt says this is an extra level of training beyond the academy.
“It certifies police officers to perform the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test in addition to the walk and turn and one leg stand. So this training ensures that we maintain our standards that way every person we give these tests to has a fair shake at them and we are also making correct decisions about whether or not we’re going to make an arrest.”
Officer Voigt says there is no way to practice for this test and the best way to avoid an arrest is to not drink and drive.
“It’s important to realize that the goal of this enforcement is to prevent collisions, but as part of that there is no finding a drunk or impaired driver and letting them go with a warning, it will result in an arrest if we determine there is probable cause for that.”
