Media release from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety:
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety last week honored 32 different Georgia law enforcement agencies for their year-round work to save lives and reduce traffic crashes on our roads during the 25th annual Governor’s Challenge Awards held at the Macon Centreplex.
An annual recognition program for statewide law enforcement agencies of all sizes, the program featured awards in eight different categories based on department size, as well as Campus and University Police, Military Police, Traffic Enforcement Network of the Year, Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator of the Year, HEAT Team of the Year and several specialty program area awards.
The Governor’s Cup grand prize, given to the top performing department among all categories, was this year presented to the Snellville Police Department. Snellville garnered a score of 229.5 out of 260 points to win the coveted Governor’s Cup, with judging done by highway safety experts in Tennessee and South Carolina.
The Governor’s Challenge program honors law enforcement agencies for their work to prevent crashes, injuries and deaths in their communities, college campuses and military installations. Designed to award outstanding achievements in highway safety enforcement and education, the awards recognize agencies for the approach and effectiveness of their overall highway safety programs. Agencies are evaluated not just for enforcement initiatives, but for unique problem-solving in their communities, using public information activities, and creating departmental policies that support their traffic enforcement campaign efforts.
“Presenting these awards is a highlight of our year because it reaffirms to these departments that they are making an impact in their communities when it comes to saving lives on our roads,” Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said. “We’re honored every year to return to this program and let these officers, deputies and troopers share the spotlight for helping keep Georgia’s roads safe.”
Another highlight of the awards program was the always-anticipated awarding of this year’s Governor’s Challenge vehicle, a fully-equipped 2024 Ford Mustang. To award the vehicle, 10 agency names are drawn out of a pool that includes any agency that won an award. Those agencies each choose a key and whoever has the key that illuminates a special law enforcement light bar wins. This year’s vehicle was won by the Dalton Police Department.
“Georgia has law enforcement agencies large and small in all corners of the state and that’s what’s great about Governor’s Challenge.” GOHS Law Enforcement Services Director Roger Hayes said. “These awards recognize the efforts of all agencies, no matter their size, on working towards the ultimate goal of zero traffic deaths on our roads. That is a goal we will never stop reaching for and we do that by encouraging departments that urge their citizens to buckle up, slow down, drive sober and never drive distracted.”
The full list of this year’s Governor’s Challenge winners is as follows:
| AWARD CATEGORY | PLACE |
| Category 1: 1-10 Officers | |
| McCaysville Police Department | 1st Place |
| Alto Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Boston Police Department | 3rd Place |
| Category 2: 11-25 Officers | |
| Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office | 1st Place |
| Tybee Island Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office | 3rd Place |
| Category 3: 26-45 Officers | |
| Calhoun Police Department | 1st Place |
| Milledgeville Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Morrow Police Department | 3rd Place |
| Category 4: 46-75 Officers | |
| Snellville Police Department | 1st Place |
| Dalton Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Crisp County Sheriff’s Office | 3rd Place |
| Category 5: 76-100 | |
| Rome Police Department | 1st Place |
| Floyd County Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Liberty County Sheriff’s Office | 3rd Place |
| Category 6: 101-200 | |
| Coweta County Sheriff’s Office | 1st Place |
| Gainesville Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Warner Robins Police Department | 3rd Place |
| Category 7: 201-500 | |
| Hall County Sheriff’s Office | 1st Place |
| Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office | 2nd Place |
| Henry County Police Department | 3rd Place |
| Category 8: 501+ | |
| DeKalb County Police Department | 1st Place |
| Atlanta Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Cobb County Police Department | 3rd Place |
| Category 9: Colleges & Universities | |
| University of North Georgia Police Department | 1st Place |
| University of West Georgia Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Coastal Pines Technical College Police Department | 3rd Place |
| Traffic Enforcement Network of the Year | |
| Coastal Area Traffic Enforcement Network | 1st Place |
| Middle Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network | 2nd Place |
| Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network | 3rd Place |
| Coordinator of the Year | Captain Lee Smith |
| Asst Coordinator of Year | Lt. Victor Tyson |
| HEAT Team of the Year | |
| Georgia State Patrol Nighthawks – Middle Georgia | 1st Place |
| Savannah Police Department | 2nd Place |
| Hall County Sheriff’s Office | 3rd Place |
| SPECIAL CATEGORY AWARDS | |
| Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office | Impaired Driving |
| Morrow Police Department | Speed Awareness |
| Dalton Police Department | Occupant Protection |
| Snellville Police Department | Distracted Driving |
| Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office | Rookie of the Year |
| Rome Police Department | Child Passenger Safety |
| Valdosta Police Department | Bike/Pedestrian Safety |
| Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office | Teen/Young Driver Safety |
| Calhoun Police Department | Community Engagement |
| Western Region Traffic Enforcement Network | Motorcycle Safety |
| Snellville Police Department (200 Points) | Governor’s Cup |
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