On August 18th, 2008 at the VACP Law Enforcement Challenge Awards luncheon, the VACP presented Sheriff Doug King and members of the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office with the Law Enforcement Challenge “Commonwealth’s Award for 2007” (previously named the President’s award). This prestigious award is presented to the agency with the best overall traffic safety program in Virginia; “The Best of the Best in Traffic Safety”. Following receipt of this award, Wythe County was also presented with the First Place Award in the 2007 Virginia Law Enforcement Challenge, for Sheriff’s Offices Category III. In addition to these awards, Wythe County Sheriff’s Office also won first place in the National Law Enforcement Challenge Awards for Sheriffs Offices in Category IIThe Virginia Law Enforcement Challenge is the oldest state challenge awards program in the country and 
2008 marks the twentieth year. The LEC is a competition between law enforcement agencies in Virginia based on their traffic safety programs. Agencies compete against similar size departments. It recognizes and rewards the best overall traffic safety programs in the Commonwealth. This competition targets three major areas of traffic safety: occupant protection, impaired driving and speeding. The program also judges each agency on training provided to its employees and its success with public education and community safety activities.
Lt. Chad Trivitt coordinates the Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Challenge; Trivitt stated “traffic safety in Wythe County is very important to Sheriff King and his deputies. Winning these awards was a total team effort, from dispatch to patrol, from the units that prepared the manual, to the print shop, along with the people of Wythe County. Everybody worked together as a team year-around to make the county a safer place to travel”
For years the Sheriffs Office as been a leader with its very aggressive speed enforcement program. In 2007, we raised the bar and increased our efforts in every aspect of traffic safety such as occupant protection, impaired driving along with participating in all of the national and state enforcement mobilizations. During the year the Sheriff’s participated in numerous traffic safety and public education events, from “Click it or Ticket” to Bike safety rodeos the Sheriff’s Office covered it all.
The Sheriff’s Office also excelled in area of traffic safety training, not only for its own deputies but instructing for surrounding jurisdiction in radar and laser enforcement training.