HCSO Awarded 2015-2016 RIID Grant from TN Governor's Highway Safety Office

Hamilton County, TN - The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has been officially notified by the Governor's Highway Safety Office that once again, the HCSO has been awarded the Remove Impaired-Intoxicated Drivers (RIDD) Grant. For the last ten years, the HCSO has received this grant to improve driver safety.

This unique and valuable grant gives 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 in order to protect our community from senseless and fatal crashes that may occur as a result of alcohol or drug impairment.

Under last year's grant administration (period 2014-2015), the HCSO set a goal of increasing intoxicated-impaired driver arrests by 7 percent. This goal was accomplished and a total of thirty (30) DUI arrests were made during the 2014 - 2015 grant period verses a total of twenty-three (23) DUI arrests made during the 2013 - 2014 grant period.

During the 2014 - 2015 grant period Hamilton County Sheriff's Office investigated a total of three (3) fatal crashes in the unincorporated areas with one (1) of them being alcohol related. Deputies are removing more impaired and intoxicated drivers from the roads and it is clear lives are being saved.

HCSO School Resource Officers have also contributed to the success of the RIID Grant. For example, during last year’s RIID Grant period, two hundred forty three (243) presentations were made by SRO’s on topics such as drunk driving, driving impaired, drugs, and the negative effects of drugs and alcohol. Six thousand nine hundred eighty nine (6,989) students participated in these presentations.

In April, a simulated crash was conducted at Sale Creek Middle / High School in cooperation of the Hamilton County Health Department to further illustrate to students the dangers of driving while impaired or intoxicated.

The RIID Grant has, and will continue to, allow deputies and traffic personnel to see improvements due to the higher visibility of more law enforcement personnel and increased enforcement measures. Accordingly, Hamilton County residents will also see additional sheriff’s personnel in their community.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office for their generous support to help improve the safety of our local roads, our citizens, and helping to save lives.