Habersham sheriff’s office named MADD Agency of the Year

MACON, Ga. — The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office was recognized as Georgia’s Agency of the Year on Thursday during the 22nd Annual MADD Golden Shield Honors, one of the state’s highest recognitions for law enforcement excellence in impaired driving enforcement and traffic safety.

The statewide awards program, presented by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Georgia in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, honors law enforcement agencies, officers, prosecutors and community advocates for their efforts to combat impaired driving, improve traffic safety and support victims of drunk driving. The event also includes an Impaired Driving Enforcement Forum focused on training, collaboration and best practices.

In addition to earning the Agency of the Year title, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office received several individual honors:

• Third place in the Agency DUI Hero category.
• Deputy Holden Helcher and K-9 Bane received second place for K-9 Officer of the Year.
• Sgt. Phillip Young of the sheriff’s office’s Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) Unit earned third place for Officer of the Year.

According to MADD Georgia, the Agency of the Year award recognizes a law enforcement agency that demonstrates excellence through innovative approaches to detecting and deterring impaired driving, traffic violations and underage drinking prevention. Agencies are nominated by their peers and must submit supporting documentation detailing their accomplishments and results.

The Golden Shield Honors have recognized Georgia law enforcement professionals for 22 years. The awards celebrate agencies and officers who investigate impaired driving crashes, remove impaired drivers from the road, educate the public and work with prosecutors and community partners to improve highway safety across the state.

The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office announced the awards following Thursday’s ceremony in Macon.