From Gainesville to Royston, several northeast Georgia law enforcement agencies have been recognized by Gov. Brian Kemp with this year's Governor's Challenge Awards.
Kemp presented the awards last Wednesday in Macon as the Governor's Office of Highway Safety honored 23 law enforcement agencies for their work in promoting traffic safety through outreach and enforcement.
Locally, awards were presented to the Demorest, Royston, and Gainesville police departments, and the Habersham, Forsyth, and Hall County sheriff's departments.
The top award, the Governor's Cup, went to the Snellville Police Department, which scored 171.5 points out of a possible 200 points to take home the trophy. The department, which has less than 50 officers, also won the Occupant Protection and Distracted Driving awards, as well as first place for its overall highway safety efforts in the category for their department size.
Last year's Governor's Cup winner, Byron Police Department, won the Impaired Driving Award and also took home first place in Category 2 (11-25 officers). The Crisp County Sheriff's Office took home the "Rookie of the Year" and Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety awards. The Dalton Police Department took home top honors in Category 4 (51-100 officers) and also won the Speed Award. The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office earned the Technology Award and first place in Category 6 (251-500 officers). The Coastal Area Traffic Enforcement Network, which covers southeast Georgia, was named the Traffic Enforcement Network of the Year.
A full list of this year's winners can be found here.
