Two Habersham County Sheriff’s Office deputies were among those honored Thursday by the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for their work to reduce crashes and promote safer driving across North Georgia.
The awards were presented at the 2025 “Quad Awards” ceremony in Gainesville, which recognized standout performance in four regional traffic enforcement networks, including the Northeast Traffic Enforcement Network (NETEN).
Sgt. Phillip Young of the sheriff’s HEAT Unit received the 2025 Todd Helcher Impaired Driving Enforcement Award for his efforts in DUI enforcement. The award honors the late Todd Helcher, a former Habersham County deputy and Clarkesville resident killed in a 2005 crash on Ga. 365. His son, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office K9 Deputy Holden Helcher, presented the award.
Deputy Charles Brantley, also of the HEAT Unit, received the 2025 NETEN Speed Award in recognition of his work combating excessive speeding on area roadways.
Other NETEN honorees included Sgt. Kris Hall of the Commerce Police Department, recipient of the 2025 Cruz Thomas DUI Award; Hall County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Major Paterson, winner of the Occupant Protection Award; Hall County Deputy Daniel Meeks, recipient of the Distracted Driving Award; Braselton Police Department Officer Justin Simmons, named NETEN Officer of the Year; and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, named NETEN Agency of the Year.
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety works with regional enforcement networks to reduce impaired driving, speeding and unrestrained motor-vehicle crashes across Georgia.
