More DUI Patrols Coming to Bibb County

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Georgia State Patrol is adding a Nighthawk unit to the area to crackdown on drunk driving.

It will be the third DUI task force in the state and will target DUI offenders during the peak hours when drunk driving usually occurs.

Katie Fallon with the Governors Office of Highway Safety tells 41NBC, the local task force will include 5 state troopers and a supervisor.  The program is funded through a grant from the GOHS.

The Nighthawks program first started in 2004, with two units serving Atlanta/Athens and Statesboro/Savannah.  From 2004 through 2011, the Nighthawks made 6,146 DUI arrests.  Their purpose is to reduce crashes involving drunk drivers.

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Georgia State Patrol, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, and Macon Police Department plan to make the official announcement about the Nighthawks at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.