Gainesville PD receives grant to amp up safety campaigns

GAINESVILLE - A $15,000 network grant has been awarded to the Gainesville Police Department.

"It will be utilized to help safety enforcement, different things such as year-round safety belt, speed and impaired driving campaigns," said Gainesville Police spokesperson Kevin Holbrook.

Holbrook said the grant was awarded by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. He said it was given in recognition of the department's lifesaving work as the coordinating agency for the North East Traffic Enforcement Network, which includes law enforcement agencies in Hall's 11 neighboring counties.

"It's not necessarily about going out and writing more tickets," Holbrook said. "We will utilize a great deal of this money for safety campaigns, education campaigns."

He said the grant has been used in the past to purchase DUI goggles, golf carts used in local schools to stimulate drunk driving and other safety and awareness initiatives in the area.

The North East Traffic Enforcement Network region includes law enforcement agencies in the eleven neighboring counties of Hall County, including Forsyth, Dawson, White, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens, Hart, Franklin, Banks and Jackson.