Georgia State Patrol Wins National Competition

(ATLANTA)—The Georgia State Patrol will receive two major awards at the National Chiefs’ Challenge Awards Banquet in October.  The national competition is sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

            The IACP announced Monday that the Georgia State Patrol placed second nationwide in the 501-1,000 sworn officers category among state police and highway patrol agencies for 2005.  It was also announced that the Nighthawks DUI Task Force was the national winner of the DUI Enforcement Award.  The Chiefs’ Challenge recognizes law enforcement efforts to increase safety belt usage, reduce impaired driving and control speeding violations.  The competition is judged on enforcement as well as public information and education activities.

The awards will be formally presented at the IACP annual conference in Boston.

            “I am extremely grateful to the men and women of the Georgia State Patrol for their hard work and dedication to duty that earned them this award,” Colonel Bill Hitchens, GSP Commander said.  “The IACP awards are some of the most prestigious a law enforcement agency can earn each year.”  The Georgia State Patrol finished second in the state police and highway patrol category for 2002 and was a first place winner for 2003.

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