HCSO awarded state grant for high visibility enforcement

Note: The following press release was provided by the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office for publication. -KtE

The Haralson County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce it has received a $49,731 High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). Funding for this grant is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is awarded based upon the partnership with The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in helping to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities across the State of Georgia.

High Visibility Enforcement combines highly visible and proactive law enforcement to target a specific traffic safety issue designed to change unlawful and dangerous driving behaviors that contribute to most of the fatal and serious-injury traffic crashes on our roads. Law enforcement efforts are combined with visibility elements and public notification on the enforcement campaign to educate the public on traffic safety and promote voluntary compliance with the law.

“Crash data shows enforcement and education of traffic laws are two of most effective countermeasures to help our state and nation reduce crashes and eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads,” said Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “Each life saved on our roads is one less family that will have to live with the pain of losing a loved one whose life was taken from them in a traffic crash that was completely preventable”

“This grant allows us to get vital equipment and to pay deputies to participate in these lifesaving initiatives without costing the taxpayers of Haralson County any money,” states Sheriff Stacy Williams. “I appreciate the effort of Sgt. Reggie Johnson and his commitment to do all of the behind the scenes work to get the grant paperwork filled out and submitted. I am thankful that we have received this grant, and we will endeavor to make the roadways of Haralson County even safer.”

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

The grant will continue through September of 2026.

For more information on the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office award, contact Lt. Heather Mecillas at 770-646-2011 or heathermecillas@haralsoncountyga.gov. For more information on GOHS and its highway safety programs visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.