RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office received two grants totaling $170,000 for enforcement and education efforts from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO).

THSO announced Thursday $28.5 million in federal grant funds to be distributed statewide from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 2023–2024 federal fiscal year. Click here to view the list of grant awards and recipients.

“The THSO is pleased to announce the allocation of federal grant funds to support our traffic safety partners across Tennessee,” said Tennessee Highway Safety Office Director Buddy Lewis. “These funds will be used to increase traffic safety education, public awareness, advocacy, training and enforcement initiatives to improve driver behavior and protect Tennessee roadways. These partnerships are essential to saving lives and reducing traffic fatalities across Tennessee.”

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office will use $150,000 to pay overtime for traffic services and alcohol enforcement and $20,000 for the School Resource Officers to use for Teen Driver Safety Education.

Lt. Michael Rodgers, who handles traffic issues for the Sheriff’s Office, said the grant is composed of two sections, police traffic services and alcohol enforcement.

“The goal of the police traffic services portion is to reduce serious injuries and fatalities by focusing on reckless driving, speeding, hands free and other similar offenses,” Rodgers said. “The alcohol enforcement has the same primary goal of reducing serious injuries and fatalities but focuses on detecting and apprehending impaired drivers.”

Both sections of the grant provide funding for officers to work these assignments and for various equipment such as radars and checkpoint equipment.

SROs will use the grant funds to teach students about traffic safety.

THSO reported more than 370 federal grants exceeding $28 million in total have been awarded to law enforcement agencies and highway safety partners across Tennessee. Approximately $3 million in media grant funds will be allocated for statewide highway safety education and public awareness campaigns.

Applicants who meet the required data-driven criteria and highway safety standards are awarded grant funds to support the THSO’s mission to reduce traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities.