Alert Monitoring (Otago) security guard Tearoha Enoka was awarded a District Commander's Certificate of Appreciation by Police Commissioner Howard Broad at a Dunedin and Clutha police award ceremony.
While driving on Crawford St just after midnight on October 27, Mr Enoka saw a car overtake him and start "swerving all over the road".
After the car pulled over, Mr Enoka approached it, saw the driver drinking from a cask of wine, and blocked the car with his own.
He demanded the driver hand over the keys and called police.
The 30-year-old driver, who had been twice convicted of drink-driving and was disqualified from driving at the time, recorded a breath-alcohol level of 1656mcg.
The legal limit is 400mcg.
"For a member of the public, on a spur of the moment, to see an issue or incident and step forward as a citizen is special, and I thank you for that," Mr Broad said.
The award was "special" and rare, with only about 15 handed out in the country.
Mr Enoka admitted he was nervous about receiving the accolade, but was also "over the moon".
"I always put my life on the line for the community," he said.
He was also considering a career in the police, "when the time is right".
During the ceremony, district officers killed in the line of duty were also honoured as an acknowledgement of the 20th anniversary of the deaths of Sergeant Stewart Guthrie, who was shot and killed at Aramoana in 1990, and Senior Constable Peter Umbers, who was beaten and killed in Ranfurly in 1990.
Other awards were-
14-year long service badge, Deborah Hill; 14-year long service and good conduct medal, Detective Rebecca Hill, Senior Constable Paul Kennedy, Sergeant Tania Baron, Detective Liz Forde, Detective Des Karl, Sergeant Matt Scoles; 21-year long service clasp, Senior Constable Nigel Voice, Detective Graham Smaill, Senior Constable Ian Paulin; 35-year long service clasp, Senior Constable Trevor Kelly, Senior Constable Lox Kellas; New Zealand Blue Light most supportive commander award, Alastair Dickie; New Zealand operational service medal for the Solomon Islands, Senior Constable Jeanette Parcell; Commissioner's letter of appreciation, Pat Mansfield; certificate of promotion, Sergeant Trevor Thomson, Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, Inspector Alastair Dickie, Inspector Dave Miller, Senior Sergeant Mel Aitken, Detective Senior Sergeant Steve McGregor, Senior Sergeant Kelvin Lloyd, Inspector Steve Kelly, Sergeant Graeme Evans, Senior Sergeant Jason Guthrie; certificate of service, Senior Constable Laurie McNeill.
