THOMASVILLE- The Thomasville Police Department is pleased to announce it has received a $26,000 High Visibility Enforcement grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Funding for this grant is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is awarded based upon the partnership with GOHS in helping to reduce accidents and prevent injuries and mortalities across the State of Georgia.

High Visibility Enforcement combines highly visible and proactive law enforcement to target a specific traffic safety issue designed to change unlawful and dangerous driving behaviors that contribute to most of the fatal and serious-injury traffic crashes on the roads. Law enforcement efforts are combined with visibility elements and public notification on the enforcement campaign to educate the public on traffic safety and promote voluntary compliance with the law.

“Federal and state crash data shows 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.”

Thomasville Police Chief Wade Glover stated, “In 2024, speeding citations increased almost 150% in Thomasville, while traffic crashes and injuries decreased anywhere from 9 to 15 percent. It’s simple; slow down and buckle your seatbelts.” Glover continued by saying, “Focusing on certain areas have historically proven to be more effective than other efforts to reduce traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities.”

Glover noted that the grant will allow the Thomasville Police Department the ability to focus on traffic safety through organized educational and awareness events in areas with increased speeding and misuse of seatbelts as well as community complaints. “We appreciate the partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to enhance traffic safety in Thomasville,” said Glover.

The High Visibility Enforcement grant funds will reimburse TPD enforcement hours spent on traffic education, traffic enforcement, and child safety seat training. The HVE grant also requires the Thomasville Police Department to meet monthly milestone goals including:

• Traffic Enforcement (Speeding and Seat Belt Enforcement)
• Traffic Education
• Child Seat Installation and Training
• Governor’s Office Highway Safety Campaigns

Being law enforcement partners in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI and Click It or Ticket seatbelt campaigns, the Thomasville Police Department will also conduct mobilizations throughout the year in coordination with GOHS’s year-round waves of high visibility patrols and multi-jurisdictional sobriety checkpoints.

The grant will continue through September of 2025.

For more information on the Thomasville Police Department’s award, contact Major Shane Harris at 229-227-7075. For more information on GOHS and its highway safety programs visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.