Cherokee Sheriff's Office Awarded Grant For DUI Enforcement

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — The Governor's Office of Highway Safety has announced that the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is one of 21 law enforcement agencies in Georgia to receive a Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant for the 2021 grant season. Referred to as a H.E.A.T. grant, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office's award totals $108,444.60.

The goal of the H.E.A.T. program is to combat crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding, while also increasing seatbelt use and educating the public about traffic safety and the dangers of DUI.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office H.E.A.T Unit will use the grant from Governor's Office of Highway Safety to develop and implement strategies to reduce local traffic crashes due to aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors. Governor's Office of Highway Safety H.E.A.T. grants are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"The loss of one life on our roads is one too many, and the fact almost all fatal traffic crashes can be prevented is one reason why we are awarding this grant," Governor's Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said. "The target of zero traffic deaths in our nation is achievable, and we will continue to help develop and implement educational messages and enforcement campaigns aimed at bringing our state one step closer to that goal."

Totaling $6.7 million for 2021, H.E.A.T. grants fund specialized traffic enforcement activities in counties throughout the state. The program was designed to assist Georgia jurisdictions with the highest rates of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities with grants awarded based on impaired driving and speeding data.

As law enforcement partners in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI and Click It or Ticket seatbelt campaigns, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office will also conduct mobilizations throughout the year in coordination with Governor's Office of Highway Safety's year-round waves of high visibility patrols, concentrated patrols, and multi-jurisdictional sobriety checkpoints.

The grant will continue through September 2021.

For more information about the H.E.A.T. program or any other Governor's Office of Highway Safety campaign, visit the website or call 404-656-6996.