The DeKalb County Police Department got a Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant for 2025.
The grant, awarded by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, is bringing $149,468 to the department to help it create new strategies to reduce or stop local traffic crashes by aggressive or dangerous driving behaviors.
The HEAT program is meant to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding, while also educating the public about traffic safety and the dangers of driving under the influence, as well as increasing overall seatbelt use in the community.
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DeKalb County police said the HEAT grants are used by specialized traffic enforcement units all over Georgia and is used in areas with the highest rates of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities. Funding for the grants is awarded based on data for impaired driving and speeding in the county.
“With the increase in the number of persons killed in traffic crashes in Georgia and across the nation over the last year, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is working with partners like DeKalb County Police Department to implement programs designed to stop the risky driving behaviors that are contributing to a majority of our serious-injury and fatality crashes,” Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said. “Many of the fatal traffic crashes on our roads are preventable, and we will continue to work with our educational and enforcement partners to develop programs and initiatives that are designed to get Georgia to our goal of zero traffic deaths.”