Safety Council Meeting
January 16, 2019
Safety on the Road
Sergeant Michael Walsh
Summit County Sheriff's Office
As we start the new year, many New Year's resolutions will focus on the tried and true: weight loss, exercise, and stress reduction. But have you ever thought about adding driving safety as a health goal? With sobering statistics from the National Safety Council (NSC), safe driving should be on everyone's New Year's resolution list. In 2017, more than 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes; the three biggest causes of fatalities on the road are alcohol, speeding and distracted driving.
Sergeant Michael Walsh is a graduate of the University of Akron, Summit County Sheriff's Academy 1993, D.A.R.E. officer school, SRO school and is Ohio Crime Prevention certified. He is a 26-year veteran of the Summit County Sheriff's Office. Formerly worked in the Patrol Division and is now serving as the Sheriff's Community Policing Supervisor. In this position he supervises the Sheriff's Marine Patrol Unit, school resource officers, Dare Officers, Juvenile Diversions Deputies and Safe Communities. Sgt. Walsh also coordinates the Sheriff's Take-Me-Home Program, Senior Watch Program, Quick Response Team and Christmas with a Cop.
Sergeant Walsh received the Summit County Optimist award in 2014 and the Summit County Sheriff's Unit of the Year Award in 2013, while supervising the Sheriff's Marine Patrol unit.
In addition to his current assignment, Sgt. Walsh frequently speaks on the topic of senior fraud and abuse, burglary and theft, neighborhood watch, active shooter, drug education, vehicle crash prevention. During the last 4 years, as part of the Sheriff's Safe Communities Program Sgt. Walsh has helped spearhead the reduction of fatal crashes in Summit County through different educational events. In doing this Sergeant Walsh has created the Program "Drive Park" in an attempt to reduce fatal crashes in Summit County.