If you came across a traffic check on Friday night, it was all for highway safety.

Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin hosted the Southwestern Georgia Traffic Enforcement Network on Friday.  After dinner, Sheriff Griffin welcomed the 50 to 60 officers from the region telling them he was pleased to be a part of the effort to increase safety on the highways.  He told them he was proud of their hard work.

Sgt. Bruce Womble of the Cairo PD is the coordinator of the Southwestern Traffic Enforcement Network. A 1 minute video.

After a training session for the group, they first set up on Highway 84 east, checking traffic in both directions.  Within the first 20 minutes or so, arrests were made for DUI and possession of marijuana.  Credit for the possession bust goes to Bear, the Sheriff's K9.

In addition to tickets and arrests, officers took time to instruct drivers on the proper placement and securing child safety seats.

Each month the SWTEN meets in a different county.  There are currently 15 regional traffic enforcement networks servicing all 159 counties in Georgia. Each network is designed to enhance traffic enforcement activities through networking, training and legislation.  This is a Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety program. GOHS Web Site

Counties included in our network are Lee, Dougherty, Worth, Early, Baker, Mitchell, Colquitt, Miller, Seminole, Decatur, Grady, and Thomas.