The Troup County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a $306,428.80 Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).

Troup County is one of 32 law enforcement agencies across Georgia receiving a H.E.A.T. grant for Federal Fiscal Year 2027, which began October 1, 2026, and runs through September 30, 2027.

The Troup County Sheriff’s Office H.E.A.T. Unit will use the funding to develop and implement traffic enforcement strategies aimed at reducing crashes caused by aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors.

According to GOHS, the H.E.A.T. program focuses on reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities associated with impaired driving and speeding, while also increasing seat belt use and educating the public about traffic safety and the dangers of driving under the influence.

“Crash data shows enforcement and education of traffic laws are two of the most effective countermeasures to help our state and nation reduce crashes and eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads,” said Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s 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 preventable,” Poole added.

H.E.A.T. grants provide funding for specialized traffic enforcement units in counties throughout Georgia. The program is designed to assist jurisdictions with high rates of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities, with grant awards based on impaired driving and speeding data.

Troup County Sheriff James Woodruff said the department appreciates the funding and expects it to have an impact on roadway safety.

“We are incredibly thankful to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for this grant,” Woodruff said. “It will certainly improve the safety of the roads for our Troup County citizens and those passing through.”
As part of the program, the Troup County Sheriff’s Office will participate in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI campaign and Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign.

The H.E.A.T. Unit will also conduct enforcement mobilizations throughout the year in coordination with GOHS’s year-round high-visibility patrols, multi-jurisdictional road checks and sobriety checkpoints.

The grant funding will remain in place through September 30, 2027, as the sheriff’s office works to address dangerous driving behaviors and improve traffic safety throughout Troup County.