ATLANTA –State Representative Bubber Epps (R-Dry Branch) today led the Georgia House of Representatives in recognizing the achievements of Twiggs County Sheriff Robbie Darren Mitchum and the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office. Since first taking office in 2005, Sheriff Mitchum’s leadership has resulted in programs improving traffic safety, which has lowered the number of traffic crashes and injuries in Twiggs County.
“Our Sheriff’s Office has worked tirelessly to make Twiggs County a safer place for our children and families,” said Rep. Epps. “Sheriff Mitchum came in at a time when our crash fatality rate was more than four-times the state average. Something needed to be done, and Sheriff Mitchum made it happen. Now, thanks to his dedication, Twiggs County has one of the best traffic safety records in the state. Sheriff Mitchum’s contribution to the force and Twiggs County is commendable and deeply appreciated.”
To improve the county’s traffic safety record, Sheriff Mitchum created the Criminal Suppression Unit (CSU). This unit serves as a traffic enforcement body that enforces all traffic and criminal laws on the roadways and highways inside Twiggs County. As a result of the CSU and Sheriff Mitchum’s leadership, Twiggs County lowered its number of traffic accidents from 193 in 2005 to 151 in 2009. The number of traffic injuries fell from 109 to 60 over that same four year period.
Sheriff Mitchum and the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office have been recognized on numerous occasions for their success in ensuring public safety. In fact, their devotion to the safety of Twiggs County residents has received both state and national honors, including:
- 2010 Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) 1st place Governor’s Challenge Award for Traffic Safety in Sheriff’s Category II and the GOHS Governor’s Challenge Child Passenger Safety Award
- 2008 winner of the IACP 1st place National Traffic Safety Award for Sheriff’s Category I
- 2008 winner of the GOHS 3rd place Governor’s Challenge Award for Traffic Safety for Sheriff’s Category II and the GOHS Governor’s Challenge State Occupant Protection Award
- 2007 winner of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 2nd place National Traffic Safety Award for Sherriff’s Category II
Representative Bubber Epps represents the citizens of District 140, which includes portions of Bibb, Jones, Twiggs, and Wilkinson counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2008, and currently serves as the Secretary for the Transportation Committee. He also serves on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Budget & Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Insurance, and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.
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