Georgia Looks To Land Police Car Plant

Georgia is one of five states competing to land a plant that would make state-of-the-art police cars.

The company, Carbon Motors, touts its cruiser as the first car specifically designed for police fleets.

Lieutenant Paul Cosper with the Georgia State Patrol says he likes what he saw from a demonstration model, including better gas mileage and running on bio-diesel:

"It’s integrated with all the components we have in our cars now, but it comes with that—the radar, the video, the lights are all integrated in it. It’s a unique concept, but we’ve not purchased any."

Right now, cars in the Patrol’s fleet--Crown Victorias and Dodge Chargers--are retro-fitted with law enforcement gadgets.

Carbon Motors now needs a home to build its concept-car. It’s considering a site in Georgia’s Hall County along with sites in South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan, and Indiana. Company officials say the manufacturing plant would bring 1,500 jobs.

Carbon expects to decide on a site later this summer.

14 Traffic Deaths Over Memorial Day

The Georgia State Patrol says at least fourteen people died in traffic accidents over the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend that ended at midnight Monday. The death toll includes two people who died in separate accidents on Old National Highway in south Fulton County late Monday night. Troopers report more than 2,700 wrecks and 700 people injured since the holiday travel period started at 6 p.m. Friday. In 2008, 16 people were killed and 912 were hurt in traffic accidents on Georgia roadways.

(Associated Press/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

State Patrol predicts 20 holiday traffic deaths

The Georgia State Patrol is predicting 20 traffic deaths on Georgia roads during the 102-hour New Year's Day holiday weekend that begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight Sunday.

Lieutenant Paul Cosper of the Georgia State Patrol says speeding is a big culprit:

"People don't leave that safety zone. They'll get to traveling at speed and they'll tailgate, and next thing you know; somebody applies the brakes, and somebody's not paying attention, and we have a wreck."

Cosper estimates there will be more than 3,000 accidents and over with 1,300 injuries.

Last year during a 102-hour holiday period there were 2,109 accidents with 1,250 injuries and 22 deaths.

The national “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” campaign begun December 19th also concludes this weekend.

But Department of Public Safety officials say troopers will be out in force making spot sobriety checks.

The Department of Public Safety website will update the holiday period traffic count every six hours.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of traffic issues statewide.

Deaths on Georgia roads higher than predicted

The Georgia State Patrol reports 24 people died on the state’s roadways for the holiday period, which began Christmas Eve at 6pm, and ending midnight Sunday. Officials had predicted 19 deaths for Georgia’s roads during the period.

Traffic delays possible as Kia brings in equipment

Georgia State Patrol will escort a machine weighing over six-hundred-thousand pounds and occupying two lanes of traffic to the new Kia plant in West Point tonight.

The machine, along with other equipment, arrived at the Port of Savannah last week.

The Georgia Department of Transportation expects delays late tonight and into the early morning as the one-hundred-twenty-eight loads head to the South Korean auto-maker’s plant.

(Macon Telegraph)

Audit: technology hampers first responders

Communication between emergency responders during a disaster could be hampered by incompatible technology. That's unless upgrades are made to the system, according to state auditors. The state’s department of Department of Audits and Accounts concluded that while more than 100-million dollars is devoted to first responders, it seems the agencies aren’t really talking to one another.

In addition to regional police and fire agencies, there are statewide organizations, including GEMA and the Georgia State Patrol, operating with different communications networks. Some equipment is old and out dated. Some agencies use cell phones, and walkie-talkies while others use radios.

But, citing the lessons learned on 9/11 when New York fire and police were unable to communicate because each uses a different radio frequency, the audit suggests a single agency coordinate emergency efforts.

One suggestion is to let Georgia Emergency Management Agency act as the central clearing house. However, the audit cites a response from the Georgia State Patrol, which believes that it best [positioned to develop the state’s so called inter operability efforts.

State Patrol leads motorist crackdown in north Georgia

Starting today, the Georgia State Patrol will be joined by other state and local agencies to begin a 90-day crackdown on speeders and intoxicated drivers. The launch of "Operation Rolling Thunder" this morning involves a rolling roadblock in Bartow County--between the Red Top Mountain exit on Interstate-75, north past the Cartersville Main street exit. There will be day and night traffic stops during the 90-day period for seat belt checks as well. The crackdown is targeted for Bartow and Paulding counties, as officials say they are two of the deadliest in the state for traffic accidents.

12 die on Georgia roads during holiday weekend

12 people died on Georgia roads during the holiday weekend just concluded. The Georgia State Patrol reports 2,480 traffic accidents and 721 injuries for the period of 78-hours from Friday evening to midnight last night. The 12 people who died on Georgia’s roadways was a number under what the State Patrol had predicted--19.

Fewer troopers driving on state roads

High gas prices are forcing the Georgia State Patrol to limit time spent driving. Troopers have been asked to cut back driving by 25%. They will conduct more discretionary patrols – like road checks, sobriety checkpoints, license check points.

Road fatalities over New Year's double from last year

A report from the Georgia State Patrol indicates the number of people who died on the state’s roads this New Year’s holiday more than doubled the number from last year. 18 people were killed in car accidents during the 102-hour period, that compared to 7 last year in a 78-hour stretch.

Police: Drive Slower to Reach the New Year

Slow down and drive safely to that holiday get-together. That's the message from Georgia law enforcement, who predict that as many as 25 people will be killed on state roads over the four-day Christmas holiday.

The state is on pace to beat last year's Christmas crash total. In 2006, there were 2,482 automobile crashes for the 78-hour Christmas weekend. The Georgia State Patrol reported today that with 42 hours still remaining in the holiday weekend, there have already been that many motor vehicle accidents.

So far this year, there have been 585 injuries and five deaths reported. The total for the full 78 hours last year was 1,107 injuries and 22 fatalities.

Georgia officials warn that the travel period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day is one of the most dangerous and deadly times to be on the road.

(The Associated Press)

Fatal Crashes Rose During Holiday

The Georgia State Patrol says there were a higher-than-expected number of traffic fatalities on Georgia roads over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.

Traffic crashes killed 26 people during the period which began Wednesday at 6 p.m. and ended Sunday night at midnight. The number of deaths was higher than the 18 deaths estimated and higher than the 19 deaths seen during the same period last year.

Despite the increase in crashes, State Patrol officials say a high rate of seat belt use led to a decrease in injuries, which totaled 844.

Search for escaped inmates in north Georgia

Authorities in north Georgia this morning are searching for three inmates who escaped from the Fannin County Jail outside Blue Ridge last night. The Georgia State Patrol was contacted by the county’s sheriff’s department around 11:30pm, asking for assistance in the search. A state patrol aviation unit is also involved in the search for the three inmates.

State Patrol finds $2 million in marijuana

Police in Twiggs County discovered nearly 2-million dollars in marijuana plants with a little help from the air.

The Georgia State Patrol spotted the 2,000 marijuana plants during a routine helicopter survey.

Twiggs County Sheriff Billy Boney says his small department relies on the State Patrol and Bureau of Investigation to help catch those in the drug trade:

“If you don’t have that help from these outside agencies a lot of times it just can’t get done. These people think they can just come out here and hide in the woods and do this. But, we’re actively seeking [that] kind of people out, in this county, anyhow.”

The State Patrol found the plants because of their color. Police pulled up some of the plants by hand and used machetes to cut down others that were up to ten feet tall. No arrests have been made so far in the case.

Fewer die on state roads than last Labor Day

The Labor Day holiday weekend has ended, and the Georgia State Patrol is in with their numbers. 11 people were killed in traffic crashes in the period between 6pm Friday and midnight last night. That number is a significant decrease in the 22 killed in the same period last year, and the 18 that were predicted for this past weekend. There were nearly 700 more crashes than the predictions for this year, but the number of injuries represented a decrease from the number last Labor Day holiday.

Georgia State Patrol reports holiday fatalities

The final numbers are in from the Georgia State Patrol for the holiday period that began 6pm Tuesday, and ended at midnight last night. Officials say statewide, there were five fatalities, one more than had been predicted. Just over 800 accidents statewide were reported with 161 injuries.

High speed chase in Albany kills one, injuries another

A high-speed police chase in southwest Georgia last night ended with one person killed and another injured. Speeds reached 100 miles-an-hour as Albany-Doughtery County drug agents chased a suspected drug dealer from Albany into neighboring Lee County. The suspect’s car tried to make a pass, but crashed head-on into another car. The driver was killed, and a drug suspect injured. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash.

Georgia State Patrol helicopter crashes

A Georgia State Patrol helicopter crash today. The GSP says it crashed this afternoon in northwest Georgia and injured three officers from the Governor's Drug Task Force. The helicopter was being used to spot marijuana fields. The patrol says the injured officers are being transported from the crash site in Polk County to Atlanta.

Record few Memorial Day traffic deaths

Georgia had a record few number of traffic deaths this Memorial Day weekend. Right now, the Georgia State Patrol counts 7 deaths. The GSP had predicted 18 people would die on Georgia roads this weekend. Police say while traffic was heavy throughout the weekend, good weather and seat belt-wearing saved lives.