The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office conducted simultaneous traffic safety checkpoints Friday evening, April 23 at multiple locations throughout the county.
The traffic safety checkpoints led to twenty one (21) arrests and multiple warnings.
Deputies were assisted by troopers from the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) post out of Helena and officers from the Middle Georgia College (MGC) Police Department.
Dodge County Sheriff’s Captain Tony Winborn says the twenty one arrests included three (3) for driving under the influence (DUI), one (1) drug arrest, one (1) felony habitual violator arrest and one (1) driver was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant.
The other arrests included driving on suspended driver’s licenses, no insurance and other bondable charges.
The checkpoints were conducted in and around Chester, Rhine and Plainfield. Law enforcement officers checked drivers for impaired driving, valid driver’s licenses, valid registrations, valid insurance and safety belt usage.
Dodge County Sheriff Jeff Hinson said the safety checkpoints were set up in response to an increase in the number of traffic accidents in those areas. Dodge County deputies concentrated on those areas for enforcement. Sheriff Hinson said the operation had been planned for several weeks by his command staff and was hugely successful in removing dangerous drivers from the public roadways. Sheriff Hinson says that the sheriff’s office will continue to take a proactive stance to law enforcement when he and his staff become aware of problems and risks.
Sheriff Hinson thanks the cooperation of GSP and MGC in providing additional manpower to the safety check points. Sheriff Hinson further thanks the Bleckley County Emergency Management Agency for providing floodlights and other safety equipment for the officers involved.
Sheriff Hinson stated that he and his command staff are currently reviewing the bills passed by the Georgia General Assembly, which are awaiting the governor’s signature to become law. Some of the laws passed include banning texting while driving by certain age groups and seatbelt laws, which will now apply to pick up trucks. The sheriff’s office will soon begin educating the public on the changes in traffic and criminal laws, which will take effect later this year.
