Nighthawks DUI Task Force
In Sandy Springs, DUI charges are serious business. For the past several, facing DUI charges have been even more probable because a Georgia DUI focused task force got a boost at the end of last year. In December 2014, the Nighthawks DUI Task Force benefited from a grant of almost $2.37 million from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
The grant, a traffic safety Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic, or H.E.A.T. grant, was awarded to the Georgia State Patrol. This funding was meant to promote the primary goals of H.E.A.T., which are to reduce impaired driving crashes and excessive speeding, while increasing safety belt usage and educating the public about traffic safety. It’s only natural, then, that part of the grant would benefit the GSP Nighthawks.
The Nighthawks DUI Task Force was created in 2004, along with the ALS, or automatic license suspension program, which trains Georgia state troopers to be able to better testify at a hearing when a driver contests automatic license suspension due to DUI. In a way, combining ALS training with the implantation of the DUI task force was a one-two punch, well aimed at those driving under the influence.
The Nighthawks Task Force consists of three teams of Georgia state troopers who are specially trained in impaired driving enforcement. They began their patrols of Fulton, Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties in 2004, expanding the program into the Savannah-Statesboro area in 2009, and into Macon and Columbus in 2012. There is also a Nighthawk patrol in the Athens-Clarke County area. This focused effort to target DUI offenders is aimed at reducing the number of fatal crashes that occur each year due to impaired drivers, which comprise about a third of all traffic deaths.
This particular grant ended at the end of September of this year, but it doesn’t mean the Nighthawks will lose their funding. These grants spring from funding allocated annually to the Georgia Office of Highway Safety from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Given the strict nature of Georgia’s DUI policies, it’s unlikely that measures to stop impaired driving will be defunded.
Facing Sandy Springs DUI Charges? Contact DUI Attorney Ray Giudice
What does this mean for you? Don’t drive under the influence. If you do find yourself facing Sandy Springs DUI charges, though, make sure you choose as your ally a DUI attorney who is experienced and understands the law. The state of Georgia puts time, energy, and funding into enforcing DUI laws. Shouldn’t you be armed with the best help possible when fighting these charges?
When fighting a DUI, you need an experienced DUI attorney with recent trial experience and the knowledge to competently represent you in court. With three decades of experience defending people charged with every type of DUI, Atlanta DUI attorney Raymond Giudice is a highly skilled professional who will is fully capable of achieving the best possible results for you.
Whether you’re facing a Sandy Springs DUI, or looking at DUI charges in another area of metro Atlanta, you can get the best possible help by calling Raymond Giudice—the DUI lawyer Atlanta trusts. Contact our office (404) 554-8800, or call Ray on his cell (404) 964-4185, to schedule an appointment for a free consultation. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.