Hamilton County, TN – Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was awarded an Alcohol Enforcement Grant which ran from October 1, 2019, thru September 30, 2020, from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) for approximately $91,800.00.

The RIID Grant, (Remove Impaired-Intoxicated Drivers), allows the HCSO the opportunity to use additional federal funds to support traffic enforcement operations for the sole purpose of removing impaired and/or intoxicated drivers from our roads to protect our community from senseless and fatal crashes that may occur as a result of alcohol and/or drug impairment.

HCSO School Resource Officers also contributed to the success of the RIID Grant by educating our youth. During the 2019 -2020 RIID Grant period presentations were made by SRO’s on topics such as drunk driving, driving impaired, drugs and consequences, texting, and the negative effects of drugs and alcohol.

A total of 168 arrests were made during the 2019 - 2020 grant period for offenses of DUI, Driving on Revoked or Suspended Driver’s License, Misdemeanor, and Felony Drug Possession, and Warrants. Additional arrest and issuance of traffic violation citations also occurred.

During the 2019-2020 grant period, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office investigated a total of eight (8) fatal crashes in the unincorporated areas with four (4) being alcohol-related resulting in five (5) deaths, meaning one vehicle had two (2) passengers.

The RIID Grant has allowed citizens, deputies, and traffic personnel to see improvements due to the higher visibility of more law enforcement personnel and increased enforcement measures. RIID Grants allow HCSO to have additional manpower to saturate all of Hamilton County to include all municipalities and the citizens in Hamilton County have been able to see an increased presence of law enforcement personnel.

About the Tennessee Highway Safety Office:

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is Tennessee's advocate for traffic safety. THSO works in tandem with the National Highway Safety Administration to implement statewide programs addressing occupant protection impaired driving, speed enforcement, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and crash data collection and analysis. Programs administered by THSO are 100 percent federally funded. THSO’s mission is to effectively develop, implement, and evaluate these programs. To learn more about the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, please visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.