Hollidaysburg Borough Police Officer Richard Oldham made 46 DUI arrests last year and has been honored with the PA DUI Association’s Top Gun Award. Mirror photo by Greg Bock

This fall, the PA DUI Association recognized about 70 police officers across Pennsylvania as “top guns” when it comes to catching impaired drivers.

Hollidaysburg Borough Police Officer Richard Oldham, who made 46 DUI arrests last year, was one of only 23 municipal police officers selected for a 2019 Top Gun Award.

“I was surprised and humbled to be recognized in such a small but impressive group of guys,” Oldham said of his selection by the PA DUI Association.

“DUIs are one of the crimes that are 100 percent preventable,” he said.

“With Uber and Lyft and taxis, it’s 100 percent preventable,” Oldham said. “There’s no excuse for it.”

Oldham said he likes to go out and be proactive as an officer. Most DUI arrests he makes occur after a traffic stop.

“I just enjoy being out on patrol,” he said, adding he likes the interaction with people that the job entails. He also stressed he gives more warnings than tickets, despite his success at noticing impaired drivers and making arrests.

Oldham has served as a police officer since 2014, first in Roaring Spring and Gallitzin before joining the Hollidaysburg Borough police.

“It’s something I wanted to do for a while,” he said of becoming a police officer. He got started a little later than other officers, graduating from the police academy when he was 28.

Oldham, who is a field sobriety test instructor and is Advanced Roadside Safe Driving certified, contributes a lot of his success to all the training available to officers at the Hollidaysburg Police Department and the chief for giving him the opportunity to attend the trainings.

“All my chiefs were an inspiration to me, and they all taught me different things,” Oldham explained.

Oldham has worked as coordinator for the Blair County DUI Task Force since the beginning of 2018.

Sheriff James Ott, who headed the DUI Task Force when he was the chief of the Duncansville Police Department prior to taking office at the start of 2018, said Oldham is one of those officers who is always out there doing a little extra.

“I dealt with Rich his entire career and watched him blossom into one of our best and most diligent officers out here for enforcement with the task force,” Ott said.

Ott said when he was moving on and stepping down as the head of the task force, he spoke to Oldham about becoming the new coordinator due to his focus and ability.

“It’s just a blessing to work with him,” Ott said. “He’s particular about the details.”

The last few years, the task force has been recognized as one of the leading DUI task forces across the state, not just in arrests but also in how it manages grant funding and conducts outreach and education on the issue.

“He just continues to carry the torch on that,” Ott said, adding there is a great deal of proactive law enforcement in Blair County. “We are in the forefront, and whenever we do things, we do it right.”

Several municipal police officers in Blair County have received the Top Gun recognition over the years, including Hollidaysburg Police Chief Rodney Estep.

Estep, who was recognized as a “Top Gun” in 2014, said Oldham is one of the department’s most aggressive officers on patrol.

“He doesn’t hold a grudge; he’s not trying to make a name for himself,” Estep said. “He just really wants to keep people safe.”

Estep said Oldham treats people as he wants to be treated and he really believes he can do good through traffic enforcement, with the chief pointing out that Oldham gives warnings 60 percent of the time.

Estep said Oldham also does a lot of public events, such as school visits, and is one of the best officers at solving problems using various methods employed by police, whether it be just talking to a person, issuing a citation or making an arrest.

Estep, who is certified as a drug recognition expert, also stressed there is no reason for anyone to be out driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Between ride sharing services, Amtran buses, taxis and friends and family, anyone out drinking has no reason to get behind the wheel.

Estep said his officers have even helped get people home and said if someone calls the police department, his officers will offer them help so they don’t have to drive.

Those who do won’t find the officers so helpful.

“We’re not going to be gentle on you if you’re drunk and you’re driving,” Estep said.

Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458.

The Oldham file

Name: Richard Oldham

Age: 34

Occupation: Hollidaysburg Borough Police Officer

Hometown: New Enterprise

Education: Northern Bedford High School and IUP Criminal Justice Training Center Municipal Police Academy

Family: Married with three children