Several initiatives regarding police services were approved by the Henry County Board of Commissioners at its January 17 regular meeting.
A resolution was passed accepting a fully-equipped 2022 Dodge Durango from the Georgia Office of Highway Safety-Law Enforcement Services Division, Governor’s Challenge Program. This vehicle comes to the Henry County Police Department’s HEAT Unit literally due to the luck of the draw. Members of the unit attended the Governor’s Challenge Awards in December in Macon, and the HCPD’s name was drawn to win the Durango, according to officials.
As for the HEAT Unit, a resolution was approved regarding the county’s annual application for the Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grant will fund 40 percent of the salaries, training, travel, and regular operating expenses of the unit with the remaining 60 percent local match requirement being allocated in the Henry County Police Department’s fiscal year 2023-2024 budget.
The purpose of the HEAT program is to enforce DUI, speeding and occupant safety laws. The focus of the HCPD unit is to develop and implement ways to reduce vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities due to impaired driving and speeding and to educate citizens on seatbelt safety and the dangers of aggressive driving.
The unit consists of one sergeant and three officers and has been a recipient of the GOHS grant for more than a decade, having received awards for demonstrated excellence in public education and awareness and enforcement of DUI and aggressive traffic laws.
Commissioners also approved the purchase of 50 Panasonic Toughbooks and 50 docking stations for new HCPD personnel and vehicles at a cost of $199,850.
A resolution was approved allowing the department to sell a K9 service animal to the Butts County Sheriff’s Office for $6,000. The K9 animal named Danger has been with the HCPD since January 2020 and has been on active patrol with his handler. Danger was purchased with seized funds to perform a task and has since met the need, according to officials, and due to restructuring in the K9 unit it was determined that Danger would be best suited with another agency.
