Sgt. George

Louth and the Union City Police Department received high praise from the

Governor's Office of Highway Safety during a recent City Council meeting.

Law enforcement

specialist Tim Roberts from GOHS presented Louth, public safety Director

B. L. Fronebarger and the mayor and council with two awards thanking them

for their strong support and participation in numerous projects.

GOHS is a multi-faceted

agency, working to educate, provide statistics, support local traffic

enforcement programs and monitor traffic and safety related programs.

Its stated mission is "to educate the public on highway safety issues

and to facilitate the implementation of programs that reduce crashes,

injuries and fatalities on Georgia roadways."

GOHS has been

around for well over 20 years and, initially a metro-Atlanta area project,

has grown to encompass the whole state. The state is divided into 16 "traffic

networks."

Louth is the

law enforcement coordinator for the traffic network that includes DeKalb,

Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee, Fayette, Clayton and Henry counties.

Roberts spoke

highly of Louth and the Union City Police. "We use Union City as

an example for like size agencies throughout the state. Any time we need

something speed checks, safety belt usage or similar they immediately

say yes," he said.

A television

commercial promoting the Click It or Ticket initiative conducted last

week across Georgia was filmed in Union City behind Shannon Mall. Gov.

Roy Barnes declared February Child Passenger Safety Month and from Feb.

18 - 24 state troopers, sheriff's deputies and local police cracked down

on drivers who failed to buckle up themselves or their children.

Road checks

were conducted at points all over the state and citations were issued

to drivers in violation of Georgia's seat belt and child restraint laws.

Roberts said

Union City "bent over backwards" to help make the Click It or

Ticket video. The video was previewed at the City Council meeting.

GOHS also has

awarded Union City with $18,750 in incentives. The Police Department received

two flashlights, five Alco sensors, four radars, a traffic safety laser,

an in-car video system and 20 child booster seats. Fifty more child booster

seats are en route to the department.

The department

placed second statewide in the February 2001 enforcement wave and first

in the July 4 week wave. The various phases of GOHS programs, such as

the Click It or Ticket checks and Operation Zero Tolerance, are called

waves.

Over the Memorial

Day weekend Union City made more than 100 road checks and issued more

than 1,000 citations.