The Candler County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday it has received a $26,700 grant during the next year from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

According to a release from the Candler Sheriff’s Office, the grant will help establish an Office of Highway Safety High-Visibility Enforcement Program that will focus on reducing speed-related crashes, injuries and fatalities, as well as increasing overall seatbelt usage in Candler County. 

“The Candler County Sheriff’s Office is committed to moving forward, striving to improve the service we provide, strengthening our partnership with the community, and finding better ways to protect the people of Candler County,” said Capt. Justin Wells, program administrator for the project. “This grant strengthens our ability to do exactly that by focusing on the areas where the risks are greatest. It allows us to address these problem areas without pulling resources from patrol deputies already on duty.”

With the award, the Sheriff’s Office will operate a special traffic enforcement program, primarily working outside regular patrol shifts, Wells said.

The project includes the purchase of two LIDAR radar units dedicated to the program, as well as funding for coordination efforts with regional traffic enforcement partners.

“Innovative projects like this are designed with the intent for Georgia and our nation to reach the realistic goal of zero traffic deaths by the middle of this century,” said Allen Poole, director of the 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.”

Wells said Candler citizens will see no reduction in service.

“In fact, this enhancement will increase the level of service our community receives every day. We are grateful for this opportunity, and we value the strong partnership we share with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and with the citizens we serve here in Candler County.”

For more information about the project, contact Capt. Wells at (912) 685-2568 or jwells@candlerco-ga.gov.