By Terry Richards
terry.richards@gaflnews.com

VALDOSTA — The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office has received a state grant aimed at increasing traffic safety.

The grant for just over $90,000 came from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

Funding for this grant is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is awarded based upon the partnership with The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in helping to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities across the State of Georgia.

The grant is good through September 2025.
“Federal and state crash data show sustained enforcement of traffic laws reduces crashes and saves lives on our roads,” Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said. “GOHS will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement to implement projects and initiatives designed to protect everyone using our roads and to help reach our goal of zero traffic deaths in Georgia and our nation.”

“Once again we are thankful to Governor Kemp and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for providing the citizens of Lowndes County and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office this grant opportunity. With overall traffic fatalities down from last year to this year, I feel this grant is helping that continued reduction. While a reduction in fatalities is great, our goal is eliminating fatalities through the voluntary compliance of the traffic laws, and the use of safety restraints,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.

As law enforcement partners in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI and Click It Or Ticket seatbelt campaigns, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office will also conduct mobilizations throughout the year.