Sheriff Dyer Secures Grant to Further Address Wreckless Driving in Union County

The Union County Sheriff’s Office has received a $51,709.10 High Visibility Enforcement grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, marking the second consecutive year the agency has secured more than $50,000 in such funding to target dangerous driving behaviors.

The grant, provided through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, supports highly visible and proactive enforcement aimed at reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities on Georgia roads. Funding may be used for equipment and to help offset salaries and training costs for deputies assigned to the effort. The grant runs through September 2027.

Sheriff Shawn Dyer said the award continues a pattern of seeking outside resources to address reckless driving while limiting the cost to local taxpayers.

“This is the second year that we have received this grant from GOHS now totaling over $100,000,” Dyer said. “This grant funding has been instrumental in addressing the dangerous driving behaviors that we have seen on our mountain roadways. This funding helps offset the cost of salaries, training, and equipment for deputies assigned to addressing those dangerous driving behaviors. The Sheriff’s Office is committed to continuing to crack down on this dangerous driving while also taking some of the burden off of our local taxpayers.”

Since taking office in January 2025, the Sheriff’s Office has received $220,815.46 in grants, scholarships and donated equipment, according to the agency.

High Visibility Enforcement combines targeted patrols with public education and notification campaigns. Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said the approach relies on data to identify problem locations and times.

“Using data to identify where and when traffic crashes are happening in local communities helps local law enforcement agencies determine when and where to patrol roads and highways in hopes of being able to save lives and reduce crashes through the enforcement of all traffic laws,” Poole said. “Traffic laws are to protect everyone traveling on the road and that obeying them helps to make sure you and everyone else makes it home safely every day.”

The Union County Sheriff’s Office will also participate in year-round mobilizations coordinated with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, including the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and Click It or Ticket campaigns, as well as multi-jurisdictional sobriety checkpoints.

Dyer reaffirmed the agency’s focus on aggressive enforcement against drivers who treat local roadways as racetracks and endanger others.

For more information on the Union County Sheriff’s Office award, contact Lt. Dustin Walker. Additional details on Governor’s Office of Highway Safety programs are available at www.gahighwaysafety.org.