Two Bemidji police officers recently received DWI Hat Trick awards for arresting three people for DWI in a single shift. The award itself is a reference to the sport of hockey, where a hat trick is when a player scores three goals within a single game. In Minnesota, police celebrate when an officer makes three DWI arrests in a single 10-hour shift.

Two Bemidji officers were presented with Hat Trick awards recently, Jeff Amey and Josh Wicker. Beltrami County Deputy Nick Bender was also the recipient of the award recently for three arrests made on June 10, 2020. For the Bemidji officers, this was not their first time being celebrated for this achievement.

Just under 2% of officers will receive this achievement in a year. Throughout the year, hundreds of drunk drivers are arrested by the Bemidji Police Department.
The achievement is given by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to express the importance of getting impaired drivers off the road.

L to R: Becky Putzke, MN Dept Public Safety NW MN Toward Zero Deaths
Coordinator; Officer Jeff Amey; Mike Hanson, Director MN Dept Public Safety-Office
of Traffic Safety (Credit: Bemidji Police Department)

L to R: Becky Putzke, MN Dept Public Safety NW MN Toward Zero Deaths
Coordinator; Officer Jeff Amey; Mike Hanson, Director MN Dept Public Safety-Office
of Traffic Safety (Credit: Bemidji Police Department)

By — Betsy Melin