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AMERICUS, Ga. (WALB) - The Americus Police Department was awarded $29,316.48 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) in Atlanta, according to a release.

The grant recognizes the department’s lifesaving work as the coordinating agency for GOHS’s West Central Traffic Enforcement Network, which supports year‑round enforcement of Georgia’s safety belt, speed and impaired driving campaigns, the release said.

“This is our way of supporting the Americus Police Department, through its continued leadership via Coordinator Lt. Tim Allen, and the west central traffic enforcement network.”

“This grant will make sure that efforts to protect the public from drunk, distracted and other dangerous driving behaviors will continue as well as recognizing network leadership and law enforcement agencies in this region for their dedication and hard work to reduce crashes and injuries and eliminate traffic deaths on our roads.”

Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, emphasized the role of enforcement and education in preventing crashes.

“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.”

“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.”

The West Central Traffic Enforcement Network includes law enforcement agencies across 14 counties: Harris, Talbot, Taylor, Muscogee, Marion, Chattahoochee, Schley, Stewart, Webster, Sumter, Quitman, Randolph, Terrell and Clay.

Americus Chief of Police Mark Scott said the department is honored to receive the grant and reiterated the agency’s commitment to reducing traffic injuries and deaths through data‑driven enforcement in high‑accident areas.

“We are very pleased to have been selected by GOHS to receive this technology grant. The Americus Police Department is committed to reducing injuries and deaths from traffic crashes through the active data driven enforcement of traffic laws in high accident areas,” he said.

As the regional coordinator, Lt. Tim Allen and the West Central network will organize year‑round waves of high‑visibility, concentrated patrols, multi‑jurisdictional roadchecks and sobriety checkpoints. The network partners with statewide campaigns such as Click It or Ticket, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, 100 Days of Summer HEAT and Operation Southern Slow Down.

For more information on the police department’s award, contact Chief Mark Scott at (229) 924-3677 or [email protected]. For more information on the grant program, call (404) 656-6996 or visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.

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