A new traffic safety grant awarded to the Calhoun Police Department will support coordinated law enforcement efforts across ten Northwest Georgia counties, including Chattooga County.

The Calhoun Police Department announced Saturday that it has received $34,050.56 from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to continue coordinating the Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network.

The regional network includes law enforcement agencies in Chattooga, Dade, Whitfield, Catoosa, Walker, Murray, Gordon, Floyd, Bartow and Polk counties.

Georgia has 16 regional traffic enforcement networks designed to improve highway safety through cooperation, training and coordinated enforcement among law enforcement agencies.

The Mountain Area network focuses on reducing dangerous driving behaviors, including speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the funding will support year-round traffic safety initiatives, including concentrated patrols, multi-jurisdictional roadchecks and sobriety checkpoints.

Participating agencies will also work together on statewide enforcement campaigns such as Click It or Ticket and Operation Zero Tolerance.

Roger Hayes, director of law enforcement services for the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said the grants help protect motorists from dangerous driving behaviors while providing training and other assistance to law enforcement agencies throughout Georgia.

Calhoun Police Chief Tony Kish said the funding will strengthen regional cooperation and support efforts to reduce crashes, injuries and traffic fatalities.

Captain Christy Nicholson of the Calhoun Police Department serves as coordinator of the Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network.

The grant is awarded directly to the Calhoun Police Department for its role in coordinating the regional network. Although Chattooga County is included in the network’s service area, the announcement does not identify a separate grant award to any Chattooga County law enforcement agency.

The Calhoun Police Department also recently received a separate $46,749.60 High Visibility Enforcement grant to support its own traffic enforcement activities.

The two grants total $80,800.16 in traffic safety funding awarded to the Calhoun Police Department, with the regional network grant supporting cooperation among law enforcement agencies across Northwest Georgia.

Sources:

• Coosa Valley News — Calhoun Police Department Awarded $34,050 Grant to Strengthen Regional Traffic Safety Enforcement, October 10, 2026
• Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety — Traffic Enforcement Networks
• Coosa Valley News — Calhoun Police Receive $46,749 Grant to Boost Traffic Safety and Reduce Crashes, October 9, 2026