Sergeant Adam Malafa & The North Dakota Highway Patrol., We Salute YOU!

Our January Luther Family Ford Salute to Law Enforcement honoree is Sgt Adam Malafa & The North Dakota Highway Patrol

Sgt Adam Malafa joins Steve Hallstrom to share with us about his families rich connection to the ND Highway Patrol and what it means to be honored for his service.

Read Sgt Adam Malafa biography below... Sergeant Adam Malafa is a twelve year veteran of the North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP). Adam began his career as a size and weight trooper in Beulah in late 2011, before he transferred to a traffic enforcement trooper position in Fargo in late 2015. In the spring of 2021, Adam was promoted to sergeant and transferred to Williston as a regional sergeant. Later in 2021, Sergeant Malafa transferred back to Fargo as a regional sergeant in the Southeast Region, where he currently serves. Sergeant Malafa comes from a family of dedicated public servants. His mother and uncle are both retired from the NDHP.

Adam’s father worked in law enforcement in North Dakota and Adam’s brother is currently a trooper with the NDHP in Fargo. Sergeant Malafa’s other brother is a NDDOT plow operator in Bismarck. It is a apparent that selflessness and serving others are values that were supported and encouraged while Adam was growing up. He continues to exemplify these values with his selfless service to the citizens of North Dakota as a member of the NDHP. Throughout his career, Sergeant Malafa has been a dedicated and loyal public servant. Aside from his day to day duties as a trooper and sergeant, Adam has volunteered for numerous extra duties within the NDHP.

In 2013, the NDHP created an Honor Guard Team that serves as the public face of the NDHP at funerals for current and formal law enforcement officers, and they provide honor guard functions at a myriad of other special events throughout the state of North Dakota. Sergeant Malafa is an inaugural member of this team and continues to serve to this day, having taken on a leadership role within the all-volunteer team. Adam is also a member of the NDHP Emergency Response Team, which again is an all-volunteer team of NDHP members that are trained in search & rescue, human tracking, dignitary protection and crowd/riot control.

Sergeant Malafa has been a member of this team since shortly after he was hired by the NDHP. Sergeant Malafa has volunteered for countless committees within the agency, providing feedback, concerns and solutions for issues facing our agency and personnel. He consistently attempts to improve the work environment through positive reinforcement and providing solutions to the problems we face. Sergeant Malafa has been an instructor for our agency for many years as well, teaching at the NDHP Law Enforcement Training Center up to three times each year on the subject of Traffic and Criminal Law to law enforcement students from agencies across the state.

Adam was use of force instructor for many years, providing instruction to his fellow troopers in the use of the NDHP weapons and control tactics. In 2017, Sergeant Malafa received the NDHP Distinguished Service Medal, along with two others, for their efforts in removing a male from a burning vehicle. A male had fled from law enforcement and had crashed into a bridge guardrail end, which caused the vehicle to start on fire. Sergeant Malafa and two others arrived on scene and ran to the burning vehicle, and removed the incapacitated male driver through the window of the damaged vehicle. While this was occurring, a fire was raging in the engine compartment and parts of the vehicle were exploding around them. This act was one of devotion to duty and heroic, as Adam and the others risked their own lives to attempt to save another. Sergeant Malafa exemplifies the mission and values of the NDHP. His is committed to making a difference everyday to make ND safe and secure and remains loyal, professional, honest, respectful and is accountable every day. For the above reasons I am privileged to nominate Sergeant Adam Malafa for the Salute to Law Enforcement Award.