Nighthawks DUI Task Force

Georgia State Patrol - Nighthawks Unit

Hello, welcome to the Nighthawks Unit Task Force tab, here we will explain our duties that we have to conduct within the Nighthawks sub-department.

The Nighthawks Task Force was initiated in October 2004 and the 10 members are the most highly trained DUI law enforcement officers in Georgia.  The Nighthawks patrol Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties during peak DUI related hours.  The program is funded with a grant from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.  In 2006, the Nighthawks DUI Task Force received the International Association of Chief's of Police National Impaired Enforcement Award for their work in 2005.  In November 2009, a newly formed DUI Nighthawks South Team was deployed in Bulloch County.  This eight-member team patrols the Savannah-Statesboro area in an effort to reduce the number of impaired driving crashes in the areas. 

In late Fall 2009, the Nighthawks DUI Task Force was expanded.  The Nighthawks were divided into two separate units, Nighthawks DUI Task Force North and the Nighthawks DUI Task Force South.  The Nighthawks DUI Task Force North was expanded by adding an additional six troopers.  The North Task Force primarily focuses enforcement efforts in Fulton County (City of Atlanta), Gwinnett County, and Athens-Clarke County.  These three counties were in the top five counties leading the State of Georgia in alcohol related fatality crashes.  The Nighthawks North is assigned 15 troopers.  The Nighthawks South Unit was created and primarily focuses enforcement efforts in Chatham County (City of Savannah) and Bulloch County.  The Nighthawks South Unit is assigned seven troopers.  

In Spring 2012, another Nighthawks DUI Task Force was created in Middle Georgia. This task force focuses its enforcement on impaired driving in Macon and Columbus. Nighthawks Middle Georgia DUI Task Force is assigned six troopers.  All of the Nighthawks DUI Task Force troopers are law enforcement officers that specialized in DUI enforcement.