July MADD Officer of the Month
First Sergeant Tracy Mance
Albany County Sheriff’s Office – New York
First Sergeant, Tracy Mance has been an officer with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office for 19.5 years and was appointed the Albany County Stop DWI Administrator. Since 1981, the Albany County STOP-DWI Program has served to educate the community regarding the dangers of impaired driving and provide funding to groups and organizations engaged in activities which support our mission to reduce alcohol and drug related crashes in Albany County
She patrolled the streets of Albany for 12 years. She does a wide range of community policing and prevention efforts and programs. Every day, she educates and impacts the community, schools, students, parents and law enforcement. Over the years, she has coordinated many school enactments, parent presentations, and a specialized computerized Go-Cart that simulated an impaired driver.
In addition, to the many other awareness and prevention programs for the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, she coordinates a phenomenal program, along with her wonderful staff, called Choices and it is free to the public. Choices is an educational program that brings awareness about targeting impaired driving, distracted driving, and many other dangers that people are faced with the growing trends in unsafe choices. First Sergeant Mance was recently presented with the Ray Thorpe Award by the New York State Association of Traffic Safety Boards for her work with the Choices program.
She is innovative with the visuals located throughout the building where Choices is held. Some of the displays are from items from the actual crashes from the victim’s families that have given permission to be shared on this site. The participants have the opportunity to go around the room and discuss amongst themselves or to ask Tracy questions.
Each time she does a presentation, she carefully orchestrates an assortment of speakers whose lives have been impacted by either their own choice, or by the hands of someone else, aimed at the specific audience. The 3-hour presentation is engaging, free from judgment and participants are allowed to ask, or make comments throughout. When the presentation concludes, most of the participants have developed some compassion and empathy. Most importantly, after each event she oversees, First Sergeant Tracy Mance provides all the participants with the knowledge and awareness of prevention, and that one bad choice can severely impact others.
MADD proudly selects First Sergeant Tracy Mance as the July Officer of the Month. Thanks to MADD-New York for nominating her for this recognition.
