Local law enforcement agencies square off at the Cocopah Speedway

The agencies each nominated an officer or deputy to drive a stock car for 10 laps to determine who gets bragging rights, all in honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation week - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Usually law enforcement is out on the street chasing criminals.

Well on Saturday night, they were chasing a win on the race track in the first ever Law Enforcement Appreciation Night at Cocopah Speedway.

14 different law enforcement agencies throughout both Imperial and Yuma County came out to race.

Each agency nominated someone to drive, and each were given a car by those who usually race at the track.

Officers and deputies got in stock cars, going 10 laps to determine who will get bragging rights.

Brad Whitfield, the track’s promoter, is the one who had the idea for the event.

Something he had thought of just one week earlier.

Once he realized what he wanted to do, he contacted his good friend…

Yuma county sheriff Leon Wilmot.

“I said you know what, that’s awesome, so he asked me how long it would take and I said ‘we can get it done by this weekend’ so it worked out really well,” Wilmot said.

The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office then reached out to the other agencies, who all jumped at the opportunity to race.

“The response was almost overwhelming, I was so surprised at the response that we had from everybody, I mean they were just eager to go,” Whitfield said.

Now, it’s a brand new way to say thank you to law enforcement, and is something they hope to do more of in the future.

“They’ll enjoy it, anytime they can not be under the gun, for lack of better words, it’s a good time,” Whitfield said.

In case you’re wondering who won, it was the Department of Public Safety.

Who will now get to keep a trophy until the next race is held.