NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely announced this week that State Senate District 27 police and law enforcement departments received highway safety grants totaling more than $528,000.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Office (GHSO) mission is to save lives and reduce injuries on Tennessee roadways through leadership, innovation, coordination, and program support in partnership with other public and private organizations. The grant awarded will be used to promote this mission.
“These highway safety grants reflect a continued commitment to working with local and state agencies to make our roadways safer,” said Bredesen. “These grant funds will support the efforts of highway safety agencies and advocates to reduce the number of people killed and injured in traffic crashes in Tennessee each year.”
The grants are awarded to agencies that successfully applied for funding based on a defined problem and statistical need. Each year, the GHSO accepts applications from agencies across the state for available highway safety funds. Applications are reviewed and scored by the GHSO and external highway safety advocates. The agencies that meet the criteria for funding received awards.
Carroll County will receive $223,240.42 in grants; Gibson County will receive $30,000; and Madison County will receive $275,451.95. The grants will go toward law enforcement visbility, sobriety checkpoints and DUI prosecution efforts.
State Senator Lowe Finney worked to secure these funds for the Jackson Police Department. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides the funding for GHSO grants.