Windsor police officer Jon Tollefson has been patrolling Windsor traffic for more than seven years.

From routine speeding tickets to stopping drivers who are intoxicated, Tollefson has kept other drivers safe from those disobeying the laws.

For his work on the streets, Tollefson was awarded the Officer of the Year award from the Windsor Optimist Club last week.

"It was nice to be recognized for all the hard work I put in," Tollefson. "When you run a lot of traffic, you are going to come across people who are driving under the influence, impaired by alcohol and drugs, and it's neat to be recognized by an outside entity that basically said, 'Hey, you've done a great job, we appreciate what you do.' "

Tollefson focuses mostly on the drivers who are driving under the influence and is best known in the department being No. 1 in those types of stops. He said if the department would ever develop a specialized traffic unit, he would be the first to jump right in.

"There is not really a secret purse," he said. "Anything to do with traffic enforcement I enjoy."

Windsor Police Chief John Michaels said the award was given to the right officer.

"He's had more than 100 DUI arrests. I think the best year he had was about 40," Michaels said. "The DUI enforcement can have a real impact in our community. If we arrest any person for a DUI, then we've taken a potential injury or fatal accident off the road."

"He does a great job in the DUI enforcement area, and has really affected the safety of this community," Michaels added.

Before coming to Windsor, Tollefson was an officer on the Johnstown police force for three years. He transferred over to Windsor stating it was a better opportunity for him personally.

"The community is diverse. The people are great. Every time I'm driving the streets, the people are just smiling and waving at you," Tollefson said. '"It's a really good town to work in."

And working for the Windsor department isn't too bad either.

"Everybody is there for each other," Tollefson said. "The chief is the best chief I've ever worked for. He's the first person to pat you on the back, and he is the first person to call you in his office when you've done something you shouldn't have done."

Although Tollefson said working the odd hours is hard to keep up with family and friends, he wouldn't want to be doing anything else but be in a police uniform.

"I've done other careers in my life, and I thoroughly enjoy this," he said. "It's got to be the best job for me."