The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has selected at least two North Georgia law enforcement agencies as recipients for a grant to curb dangerous driving.
Sheriff’s offices of Habersham and Hall counties have been named as two of 26 local law enforcement agencies to receive the Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) grant in 2025.
HEAT units are specialized law enforcement teams that target aggressive and impaired drivers with the goal of reducing fatalities.
The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office’s HEAT unit will receive $261,820 from the state to fund the salaries of two HEAT unit officers, two patrol vehicles with equipment and maintenance on those vehicles.
In November of next year, the grant will increase by $52,380 to include the salary of an additional HEAT officer as well as travel/training expenses related to the position, according to county documents.
Hall County Sheriff’s Office will collect a total of $151,680 from the grant for next year.
Both agencies will use HEAT funds to “combat crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding” as well as “implement strategies to reduce local traffic accidents due to aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors.”
“Federal and state crash data show sustained enforcement of traffic laws reduces crashes and saves lives on our roads,” Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said. “GOHS will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement to implement projects and initiatives designed to protect everyone using our roads and to help reach our goal of zero traffic deaths in Georgia and our nation.”
Hall County Sheriff’s Gerald Couch said there’s been a “tremendous decrease” in roadway fatalities since the implementation of HEAT.
“The sheriff’s office will continue to make wise use of the funding in our pursuit to keep residents and visitors to our community safe on the roads,” Couch said.
