ICYMI: Douglas Sheriff Gets $20,000 For Traffic Safety Work

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Douglas County's sheriff's office has received a major grant for its work enforcing the state's seat belt, speeding and drunk driving laws.

The $20,000 grant is from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and is for the sheriff's office heading up the office's Western Regional Traffic Enforcement Network.

Sixteen networks across the state help enforce Georgia's roadway safety laws year-round.
"This is our way of supporting the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office through its continued leadership via Coordinator Lieutenant John Jewell and the Western Regional Traffic Enforcement Network," said GOHS Law Enforcement Services Senior LEL Powell Harrelson in a news release.

"We want to make sure they can continue their region-wide efforts to protect Georgia motorists from drunk and otherwise dangerous drivers. They’ve proven their dedication and this grant serves not only as recognition for that hard work, but as means for continuing the GOHS mission of reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities on our roads."

The Western Regional Traffic Enforcement Network includes law enforcement agencies in eight counties: Douglas, Carroll, Haralson, Heard, Troup, Coweta, Meriwether and Paulding.

Sheriff Phil Miller said half the grant money will go to supporting the activities of the traffic enforcement network and half will go to traffic-safety equipment for the agency.

The network conducts year-round operations like high-visibility waves, concentrated patrols, multi-jurisdictional road checks and sobriety checkpoints, partnering with campaigns like Click It or Ticket, Operation Zero Tolerance and the Thunder Task Force.

Photo courtesy Governor's Office of Highway Safety