FORSYTH COUNTY — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office recently became one of 17 law enforcement agencies in Georgia to receive a grant for local DUI enforcement.

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awarded the sheriff’s office with a $38,400 Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic, or HEAT, grant.

The HEAT program aims to combat crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding, while also increasing seatbelt use and educating the public about the traffic safety and dangers of DUI.

Harris Blackwood, director of the state office, said in a statement that the sheriff’s office was chosen because it has shown “a particular dedication to protecting their citizens from impaired drivers.”

The local agency’s HEAT Unit will use the funding to develop and implement strategies to reduce local traffic crashes due to aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors.

 “The HEAT project aims to increase the impaired driver apprehension rate,” said Forsyth County Sheriff Duane Piper.