Awards
The Twiggs County Sheriff's Office is very proud of the national awards we have received from the law enforcement community.
During the 2010 Georgia Governor's Challenge Awards Luncheon in Macon in October 2010, the Twiggs County Sheriff's Office won two significant awards.
Our other major awards are the following:
Sheriff’s Office Awarded Equipment
By: Major James McDaniel
The Sheriff’s Office has received some much-needed equipment upgrades to help in its efforts to make Twiggs County’s roadways and highways a safer place for all.
In 2008, the Sheriff’s Office took top state honors by winning the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety’s Occupant Protection Award in the Governor’s Challenge. By winning this award, the Sheriff’s Office also received incentive awards in the form of equipment. Recently, the equipment was shipped out to the Sheriff’s Office and has been issued out to deputies to be put to work.
The equipment that was awarded includes: two Decatur Electronics Radar units, five Intoximeter FST roadside Alco Sensors, emergency lights for vehicles, flashlights, and other miscellaneous vehicle equipment. The total equipment purchase totaled $5,000.
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Sheriff Darren Mitchum wanted to thank the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for the Equipment and he also wanted to thank the men and women who work for him. Sheriff Mitchum went on to say that there was a lot of hard, devoted work that went into winning this award and that his office will continue with its efforts to make the roadways safe from speeders and impaired drivers. This equipment will do just that; the five new intoximeters will ensure that every deputy will have the necessary tools to help them identify and prosecute impaired drivers. The new radar units will replace aging units that needed replacing.
Over the last three years, the Sheriff’s Office has won a total of two national awards and two state awards for its endeavors in the field of traffic safety and enforcing the law on the highways and roadways in Twiggs County. Sheriff Mitchum went on to add that his office will continue with these endeavors and he foresees more awards in the future.
In addition, we are very proud of the personnel in our organization. Here is just one example.
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Cpl. Jason Smith (left) and Sheriff Darren Mitchum (right) (click on picture for larger view) |
Kyle Dinkheller Traffic Enforcement Award. The Kyle Dinkheller Award is a lasting tribute to Deputy Kyle Dinkheller, who worked with the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and was assigned to the traffic unit.
On January 12, 1998, Deputy Dinkheller paid the ultimate sacrifice when he was shot and murdered while enforcing a speed violation on Interstate 16 inside Laurens County, Georgia. Sheriff Mitchum served on the same unit and was Deputy Dinkheller’s supervisor at the time. Sheriff Mitchum created this award when he became Sheriff of Twiggs County in 2005 to honor his fallen friend's devotion to traffic enforcement.
The 2009 winner of the Kyle Dinkheller Award is Deputy Jason Smith. Deputy Smith serves on the Twiggs County Criminal Suppression Unit. Deputy Smith distinguished himself by aggressively enforcing traffic laws inside Twiggs County, Georgia. Deputy Smith led the Sheriff’s Office in 2009 with the most speeding violations, driving under the influence citations, and criminal apprehensions. This while enforcing traffic laws on the highways and roadways inside Twiggs County Georgia.